The Fire Inside
by Tamika Silver-wind
Summary: A teenager with a comfortable life suddenly finds herself a Pokemorph and at odds with the world and her own family and friends. What happens when all she has worked for, all she has treasured,- indeed, her own life - crumbles into pieces before her eyes?
1. The beginning

Author's Note:

First of all, I do _**NOT **_own Pokémon. I do however own my intellectual ideas, characters, and plot in the story.

Fourthly, characters are based on real people but are not identical. Names have been changed to protect the innocent (and the not-so-innocent!), and any similarity to real life people or places (except for things EVERYONE should be able to pick out) is purely coincidental.

Fifthly, this is only a temporary title until I come up with a better one.

Finally, I know it's a long intro and game, but bear with me... I love soccer! Also, the events in the beginning of the story set up much of what will come in later chapters. I promise, it gets better!

Oh, and if you're wondering what happened to second and third, well, they were true some time ago but not anymore...

Now that's done with, on with the story!

* * *

I woke up to my alarm clock buzzing in my face. How I hated that thing... nothing better to wake me up than a shrill noise reminding me that I was late already.

I yawned, stretched, and jumped out of bed, heading for the things I had laid out the night before. It was going to be an interesting day... two soccer games in one day, against aggressive teams. We should have more than enough on our hands. I just hoped we wouldn't lose a player to some dumb head fouling us because she was too slow to get the ball...

I got dressed, slipping on a warm black sweatshirt that contrasted nicely with my golden uniform. _Soooo _professional. I strapped on my shin guards, ran upstairs and looked around for the rest of my stuff. There. Sports bag, icy cold water bottle, and soccer ball. All ready!

I left a note for my parents on the fridge:

"Left for soccer. Game is at 9:15, field 1. Will go to lunch with the team. Afternoon game is at 3:15, field 6. See you for dinner! Love,

Tasha"

That should do it for now, I told myself. I picked up the car keys in the kitchen, and took out the car from the garage. It was a small, old Chevy Impala, red and somewhat dirty. I must admit I'm not one to clean my car often, but then again I have no money to afford regular cleans...

The engine burst to life with a roar, and I was glad that there was a faint light rising in the horizon. The skies were clear and there was frost on the grass, which would soon melt away with the sun's warming rays. Spring... Sunlight came earlier every day, and the Earth warmed up to its rays. It was the perfect season, not too hot and not too cold. Life reborn, the plants donning their new, colorful garments. Soon the grass would turn a bright green, and the soccer fields would be ripe for the tournaments that would come in April and early May. No more patchy, frozen brown grass to deal with...

I backed out of the driveway, looking both sides before turning into my lane. I was in such a hurry to get to the fields that I didn't notice a black van parked in a cul-de-sac not too far away. It might have struck me as odd that it had what looked like a small radar on top of it, but I was too eager to kick a ball to pay attention to my usually quiet neighborhood.

I cruised through town, enjoying the ride. Looking at my watch, I realized that I had plenty of time. It was 7:45 a.m., and I lived just a short drive away from the fields. Then again, the city was so small that it could be crossed from one side to the other in less than half an hour, with stop lights and all. I debated where I'd like to go for lunch, but then decided to leave it to the team. It was a democratic society after all...

Soon the inviting tan buildings turned into fields of brown, faint green, and golden grass swept by gentle rustles of wind. I knew that the wind would probably turn into a full-blown gust in a few hours, but we could adapt for that. Soccer players were tough, especially in this part of the country where snowstorms appeared out of nowhere as late as June. The only reason to cancel a game or a practice was lightning, and even then we only waited in our cars until it passed by.

I turned into Field 1's parking lot, mostly a big empty patch of frozen dirt. There were only a couple of cars already there, and I hoped one of them belonged to the coach. Otherwise, I might have to warm up with no net for the goal, and I would have to chase after my ball every time I took a shot. Oh well, more practice for me.

I parked and sat in my car, resting before going outside. I mentally reviewed our strategy for the game, making sure no possible variable was missing. We had our defensive line, or as we called them, the fortress. Two wing defenders, one stopper and one sweeper in the middle. Swift, coordinated, and agile, they easily took care of any ball that came within range of the goal. Then there were the three midfielders, who received the ball from the defense and ran it up the enemy's half of the field, passing from side to side and tiring out the enemy. Once they were in position around the enemy goal, they bounced the ball off of each other and delivered to our forwards. Now here was the killer strategy: our forwards were fast and furious, unstoppable once they had possession of the ball. They were like a team of hawks, closing in on their prey. Any shot at the goal was a danger to the other team. I smiled. We had bred our strikers well.

I sighed, the already-rising adrenaline in my veins making my feet itch to get out. I took my bag and jogged to our team's bench, noting with pride that I was still unbeaten to the field. A captain should never be beaten to the battle field, I always told myself.

I ran a lap around the whole field, inspecting it as I went. There were old battle scars on the field, places where the kicks taken had been so hard as to take off some grass as well. No big holes or dog poop, which was good. There was nothing so disgusting as running full speed down the field and realizing that you just stepped on something smelly and squishy...

I stretched thoroughly after my lap, watching other people around me as I did. I saw a coach unload his stuff and carry it away from where I was, and I knew for sure that he wasn't from around town. If he had been, he would have parked on the other side and carried his things a shorter distance.

A few electric blue players gathered at their bench, shivering and complaining loudly. I smiled and shook my head in amusement. They were sitting down with blankets wrapped tightly around them. There was no better way to fight off the morning chill than to run a bit.

I heard a voice behind me call my name, and I turned to see my coach in the distance. She was heading this way, with two other girls in her wake. I recognized my teammates, Kayla the stopper and Sam the goalie. I grinned from ear to ear, unable to hold back my joy. They were, after all, my best friends, and I knew I could trust them completely.

I ran up to them and took one of the ball bags. "What's up, my brilliant defense core? How are you feeling today? Solid? Fast? Furious? By the way," I asked, lowering my voice, "what news on that little plot of ours? Can we get all the things we need?" We set down our things by the bench and huddled closely.

Kayla grinned mischievously and replied, "We got everything but the Saran-wrap. We'll go look for some on Monday, OK?"

"Sounds like a plan! Hey, Coach, let's put up the net so we can start on some drills!" I ran eagerly to the goal, taking the bucket that contained the net from the Coach's hands. We set it up and started a drill, Kayla defending, Sam in the goal, and me attacking.

Slowly but surely, more golden players trickled onto the field by groups. We had set up carpooling according to zones to make sure everyone could get a ride to the games. Little groups of three or four grabbed a ball and dribbled around the field, warming up while we waited for everyone to be here.

"All right girls, let's take a run down the field and back, half speed!" I shouted, waiting until our team had lined up before taking off on a fast jog across the field. We matched each other step by step, keeping a straight line all the way across and back. We did the drill a couple more times, working harder with each run.

"Stretch!" I told them, and pointed to Mica mischievously.

"What! Oh, no, not me! Come on, Tasha, you know I really can't do this without cracking up halfway through..."

"No complaining or you're doing it for the rest of the season!" Mica shot me a mock glare while we crowded around her, following her stretches and working our way through our body.

"Tasha, the refs want to see the captains!" I jogged up to the refs and nodded as Coach whispered, "We want this side first to avoid shooting with the sun in our faces" when I passed her.

We flipped a coin and our team won, so the starters lined up and the game began. It was obvious to me that this team would be no problem for us. As the center midfielder, I could see all that was going on in the game. The other team's defense got nervous when we got close to them, and one of our strikers smirked when two red players almost collided trying to get the ball away. We were up by two points in no time.

The game went by in sprints up and down the field, with our goalie touching the ball only once in the whole game. I must say, we were probably a pretty intimidating team, but that was a good thing. The other team automatically lowered their game play as soon as they wrote us off as invincible.

I was shocked when the final whistle blew, and I ran with my teammates to our bench, bathing in the applause from our support parents. We cheered for the other team, shook the refs' hands, and took a cool down jog down the field. One game down, one more to go, I told myself.

"So, where shall we go to lunch?" I asked the team when we gathered our belongings.

"James' Shack!"

"Great Harvest!"

"McDonald's!" We burst out laughing and it took a long time for us to calm down. "We want to be able to move for the next game!" I joked, crossing my arms and tapping my foot. We finally decided we would go to Sandy's Subs, a local restaurant that we often visited. We had a blast, talking probably too loudly for everyone else's liking and giggling uncontrollably when the other customers glared at us.

After an hour or so of eating, we piled into our cars and drove down to our next field, where we set up once again and sat down to talk for a while. At 2:25 sharp we began warming up again, looking forward to another victory. This time our enemy was a team of tall, aggressive looking white-and-black clad players who shot killer looks our way.

"This is going to be interesting..." Nicole, a wing midfielder, mumbled as one of the girls made a rude gesture at us.

"Well, we know for sure that we can go all out on them. Just don't hurt yourselves, I can't breed any more players for this season if you all go out and kill yourselves!" We gathered for a group cheer before the game started, and I told myself that we'd need to keep our players fresh for this game. We had already played once this day, and we wouldn't be able to give as much as if this was the first game.

The game began anew, and I noticed right from the start that this was no fair team. They fouled us from behind, tackled us, and pulled on our hair to get at the ball. By half-time, I saw a tired, insecure team gather from the field. We were tied at one, but our confidence was nowhere near the usual level.

"Hey, gather around. We need to talk about what's going on..." I said, thinking as the team gathered. What could get us up off the ground?

"I know they're a physical team, I know they're aggressive, but I know also," I looked into their eyes, one by one, "that we have more skill and stamina in each one of our players than their whole team combined. They've only intimidated us for the moment, but now we know how they play and we can take advantage of it. Did anyone notice that whenever they feel pressured, they kick the ball out? We can make use of that. Did anyone notice also that they're not quite fast on their feet? We can make use of that, too. It's just an aggressive team, and if we can get past that, we're sure to win!"

We took a last drink of water before the 45 minute half started, then we came back onto the field. I smiled encouragingly at the team, and signaled for a few strategy changes. "Don't forget what we talked about..."

There was a significant improvement in our game play. I guess it was due to the fact that we were a proud team, and we were angry. We scored within the first ten minutes of the half, and took heart from this feat. We were more aware of the other players' intentions, jumping as they slid towards our ankles and retaliating with tackles of our own. We even joked from time to time.

The other team was tired by now. I could see it from the way they ran half-heartedly towards the ball, taking longer and longer each time to fall back to defend their own goal. It got to the point that they only stayed in their goal, unwilling to race down the field and attack us. They just didn't have the energy to compete with us anymore.

I grinned wolfishly as the other team kicked the ball out just barely out of our half. I turned to the coach and said, "Bring out the Hawks!" Time to finish this once and for all...

The three strikers stood up and waited a little impatiently for the ref to let them in. Another advantage we had: we could switch out players to avoid exhaustion. The other team couldn't afford to do so.

They were finally let in, and ran to their positions grinning and laughing. As soon as we took the throw in, they got their feet on the ball and swiftly made their way up the field. It was hard to keep up with them, but the whole team pushed up to avoid letting the other team take a fast counter-strike and as a kind of support. Not that they needed any or that we were worried about the other team, we did it out of habit.

"Yesss!" Another brilliant goal. We now stood at 3-1, which is usually the point at which the other team crumbles. Few people ever managed to turn this score around, and I was sure of our victory. The ball got sent back to midfield, and the other team started again, even more tired (if that was possible) and aggressive. The game was getting dangerous, because when a team has nothing left to lose in a game, they go at the other players without a care for red cards.

It was thus that we got a penalty kick. I let Emma take it. The forward had a strong, accurate kick, and stood at 5'11'', intimidating for a short goalie like the other team's. She didn't let us down. The ball whizzed in through the top left corner, making a soft _whoosh _as it came into contact with the net. Beautiful.

Fifteen minutes left and we were up by three. We were ecstatic by now, trying out daring strategies and playing around with the ball. Then the crushing blow came. Emma and the other two forwards, Kim and Tina, juggled the ball to the goal and managed to get a corner kick. Kim took it this time, and sent a flying ball just a few feet from the goal, perfect for a header. Needless to say, Emma was waiting. The tall forward jumped up and headed the ball in right next to the post. There was no question now: we had won.

The ref signaled the end of the game shortly after our last score, and we all ran through the field, laughing and singing _We are the champions _at the top of our lungs. Sam's parents let loose their dog, an Australian shepherd named Molly. Molly ran with us and jumped on our feet, causing a few of us to fall flat on our faces, giggling and laughing with the joy that comes with winning a tough game. We ran a victory lap around the field, our heads held high and our hearts beating in our chests, then joined together for a final stretch. I took the opportunity to talk to the team before we parted until our next practice on Tuesday.

"You guys made me proud out there. We were able to pull ourselves together and make them remember our team with fear. This will be a great season, and I can't wait until the real challenges begin! I can honestly say that I wouldn't trade this team for anything," I said, smiling as some of the players blushed.

"Well, 'Captain', let's go for some ice cream, shall we?" Sam grabbed my arm and dragged Kayla and I to the parking lot. Sam had parked right next to the field, while I had left my car on the other side of the parking lot. We were crossing to our cars when a black sedan appeared out of nowhere and sped towards me. It tried to stop, tires squeaking and raising up a cloud of dirt. I had just enough time to jump out of its way, landing in a heap of stuff on the parking lot. Ouch, that landing hurt. Did I mention that the parking lot was nothing more than a big empty dirt and rock patch?

The sedan drove away, without so much as an "I'm sorry". Come to think of it, its windows were all dark, and I wasn't able to see the driver past a black shadow inside the car. How enigmatic... I nervously told myself that it was probably one of the defeated girls' parents, half-joking and half-serious.

Anyway, the rest of the evening went on without a single glitch. Kayla, Sam and I had some ice cream, talked about what girls usually talk about (namely boys, prom, and boys again) then we headed home. It had been a long day for me, mentally and physically demanding, and I was ready to hit the sack. However, I wasn't allowed to. I took a long, steaming hot shower that relaxed me to the bone and stepped out to find my parents... and a slip of paper in their hands. Turns out, I was supposed to baby-sit the neighbors' kids for a couple of hours. I sighed and packed a few things to take along with me, namely, a book, a cell phone, and the usual knick knacks that I carried with me in my purse.

At least the kids that I baby-sat were not rowdy, rebellious rug rats who ran around wreaking havoc… As soon as I turned on a movie of their choice, they sat contentedly through it, occasionally dozing off, their heads nodding with the weight of sleep upon them. All I had to do was sit by them and read a book, tuck them in, and make sure there were no monsters under their beds. There never were… but perhaps I should have checked outside the window.

I'm getting ahead of myself. I sat through the whole "Jungle Book" smiling from time to time as memories of my own childhood came back to me. Then, when the movie was over, I took the kids to their beds, grinning to myself as the small, living zombies walked to their respective rooms, yawning and complaining that they were "not tired… zZz..."

The parents got home, thanked me, and sent me off to my house with a nice wad of bills in my pockets. Perhaps now I could catch up on some needed sleep. I could even sleep late the next day, then go look for that Saran wrap we sooo needed for Monday's little adventure.

I got home, wished my parents sweet dreams, went down to my room in the basement, and barely managed to get my pjs on before I kissed consciousness goodbye.

* * *

A radio hissed with static, then a flat voice asked, "So, is she the one we're looking for?"

A face shrouded in darkness and hiding behind black sunglasses smirked and replied in a low tone, "She'll do. I believe she will… bond nicely with our proposed specimen."

The static began again as a dark sedan slowly drove off into the night, making the slightest noise possible.

* * *

A/N: Well... Long intro, long game, not the best but only my second fanfic published. Hope you read, like it, and review!


	2. Lazy town

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. 

I'm not sure how often I'll be able to write/post/get myself to the task of continuing the story. There's this little thing getting in my way... it's called school. Anyone relate to this? 

* * *

Sunday was a lazy day for me. From time to time, I would abandon most responsibilities and worries for a while and just take some time off for myself, doing whatever I felt like doing and "wasting" time as I saw fit to, returning to my roles and duties afterward.

I woke up fairly late that day and to the sound of birds chirping, my alarm clock displaying 10:37 AM. I had cereal for breakfast, a big bowl of Chocolate Pebbles (I'm a sucker for chocolate!), then sat around reading my book or watching some TV. 

Looking at my watch, I decided I could go for a run in the park, since everyone else would stay at home or go out for lunch. There was no calmer day in the city than a Sunday... 

I put on a pair of black pants, a white t-shirt, and a jacket, got my running shoes, and drove to the closest park. It contained a couple of soccer fields, a baseball park, and tables scattered around the park, perfect for little kids' parties. That is, once the snow melted away and _stayed _away. 

I took a deep breath, relaxing and stretching for my run. I would run as often as I could, letting my feet choose a course. The hills ringing the park looked especially inviting today, warmed by the sun's rays and away from the prying eyes of the street. This was my favorite running place, with trees gathered in small clumps here and there, a cement path running alongside the hills, and a dirt track that ran up and down. 

I set off running, the wind whistling in my eras, my hair billowing out behind me as I ran for the horizon. There were few things better than the feeling of being alive, of blood coursing through veins as the body's muscles and bones worked in coordination with each other. Feet thumping against the grass, I struggled up and down the hills, settling into a running pattern. 

I smiled euphorically as I reached the other side of the park, and stood for a while, resting. The street passed right next to the park here, separated from it only by a small fence. Cars rushed by, drivers talking on cell phones or with the music turned up so loud it vibrated past the confines of the car. I remembered yesterday's incident, and thought to myself that the driver was probably talking on the phone or something. 

I turned away from the street once more, and stared at the place where I had set off from. It was a long way away if I didn't take the hilly path, but I didn't care. That only meant more fun for me, and I had nowhere else to be that day. 

I crouched against the fence, one hand on the ground and the other on the fence. Without any further thought, I set off full speed back to my car. My eyes started tearing up from the exertion and the cold wind that now hit me fully in the face. I grinned eagerly and fought the wind even more, my chest heaving with the effort. Finally, I came to the end of my run, my car waiting for me to return to the calm and civilized world that I lived in. I took a drink of water, and sat on the ground, panting and catching my breath. My face was hot and blushed from the run, and sitting down was a real relief. I rested for a while,looking around contentedly as a few people walked by with their dogs on a leash or little kids in strollers. 

"Walking... how boring," I murmured, laughing to myself. I remembered then my little plan, and called Kayla to check up on its status. 

"Hey, it's me. You got the plastic wrap yet?" 

"Yes, Sam and I found some in her mom's kitchen. Hopefully she doesn't need it!" I heard a chorus of giggles on the other side of the line. 

"OK, we'll do it tomorrow after school."

"School or Raya Park?" asked Kayla. I thought about this for a second. Both the school and the park to the north of the city had a flag post that we could use, but I thought it more appropriate if we used the park. I didn't want to have old Mr. Bings yelling and chasing after us if he saw what we were doing. The poor man already did enough of that every day, trying to take students' cell phones if he saw them out. It was settled in my mind then. School was out of the question. 

"The park, the flag post by the river. Bring all the materials to school and we'll go over them during lunch."

"Sounds like a plan! We can't wait!" Another chorus of giggles. 

I hung up. I couldn't wait, either. 

* * *

I drove home slowly with the windows rolled down. I couldn't believe we had hit fifty degrees! After a long winter that started unnaturally early with a snowstorm in late September, it was nice to see the sun shining and the earth warming up. Spring was finally coming. I'd even see squirrels play around in our back yard some days. 

I pulled up in front of my house. I wasn't allowed to leave my car inside the garage because my parents' cars took up the space. 

"It's not that bad, stop complaining," my dad had said.Of course, he wasn't the one who scraped ICE off his windshield every morning for five months...

"It's freakin' cold outside!" I shoved my hands to his neck, smirking when he shivered from the freezing touch of my now-turned-to-ice fingers. 

He pulled away from them and the grin on his face widened mischievously. "It's part of the experience of having a car. If you don't want to put up with this, it can be easily arranged." He burst out laughing when I vigorously shook my head, cradling my keys. 

"You'd make me ride the bus then. At least my car can warm up!" There was no question about that point: I was NOT riding the bus. It was full of junior high kids, and the temperature was about roughly what it was outside. Maybe even a little colder because of the glares the driver would shoot us when we talked too loudly. Make that even when we breathed too loudly. 

I got home and got out of my car. I saw a blur out of the corner of my eyes, and found the neighbor's black cat hiding behind a pile of dirty snow. There were few animals that were more easily scared than this one. 

"Hey there," I said, bending down and offering my hand to the cat. It stared suspiciously at me with its green eyes, then slowly crept closer. I let it sniff my hand, then pet it on the head. It pressed against my legs, purring softly. I smiled and scratched it behind its ears, then frowned as it sped away, scared out of its mind when the front door of my house slammed open. 

"Tasha! Take me wif you!" My little brother was standing there, rubbing sleep out of his eyes and sporting a pair of bright yellow Sponge Bob Square Pants PJ's. 

"Too late, Matt, I'm back already. Next weekend I'll let you come, I promise." I grabbed his little hand and dragged him inside with me. I set him on the couch, then turned around and almost collided with my mom. 

"Glad to see you're back. There's a pile of clean clothes that are just waiting for you to fold them." She looked just a bit impatient, and I decided it would be better to get that out of the way before I forgot and called her wrath upon me. One does not mess with mothers. At least not with mine. 

I left my keys on the kitchen counter and headed to the laundry room, then stopped in utter shock. There, in front of me, was the biggest pile of clean clothes I had ever beheld. I groaned and attacked the pile, in a bad mood now. 

"I swear, you people just buy clothes so I have to fold them!" I shouted, violently turning a shirt right side out. 

"Yes, that's why most of those are yours!" countered my mom, not even bothering to look up from her magazine. 

I sighed. I couldn't fight my mom too long. I was not the best at arguments, and she had a natural aura of superiority that just _dared_ you to cross her. I had when I was young and naive, and all I had come out with was a ruffled and humbled pride. 

I toiled away in front of the pile of laundry, watching it grow smaller bit by bit. By the time I was done, my parents announced that it was time to go out to lunch. 

"Can we go to McDonad's?" Matt asked eagerly, his little face lighting up at the prospect of a Kid's Meal and toy. 

"I'd rather stay home, if I can. I have some history readings that I have to look at before my essay tomorrow." My mom opened her mouth to state that I should have stayed home and done the readings on Saturday instead of going to the soccer games. I turned to my dad and pleaded with him before she could say anything, or I'd be forced to suffer through an hour and a half of endless noise, kids running around in an indoor playground, and the smell of food that would rapidly turn bad. 

"Very well, but make yourself something to eat and call if you need anything. And you can't have anyone over while we're gone!" 

I rolled my eyes. "Have I ever done that? Seriously. You read too many parenting books..." I smiled crookedly at them as they got into my dad's car, and shut the door. Phew, I almost had to go to the Abode of All Evil Foods...

I ended up fixing a meal out of leftovers from the week, which was incredibly delicious. I had to admit, my mom was an AMAZING cook. I downed a bowl of pea soup, white rice and homemade tacos. I hadn't realized how famished I was until the food was sitting right in front of me. I scanned through the history articles while I ate, trying to make sense of the facts and ideas that I would be tested on the next day. 

The hours passed away in this manner, and before I knew it, it was almost six. My parents finally returned from their "lunch" and explained to me that the Collinses had been at McDonald's too. Jim, their eldest, was roughly around Matt's age and they were great friends. In between the adults' nice chat and the kids' play time, they had settled down and forgotten about me, they said. I feigned a look of extreme sadness and moped around for a few minutes, lamenting that I had been forgotten and abandoned by my family. 

"Snap out of it, Tasha. Matt brought you something." My dad couldn't help but smile as Matt solemnly handed me my present. 

It was a Robo Warrior. 

"Why... errr, thank you!" I said, taking the little six-year-old's offering and setting it on the first flat surface I could find. I wasn't a fan of Robo Warriors... but I guess he deserved some credit for trying. I smiled and hugged him, and we fell in a heap when we got into a tickle fight. 

"Stop! I beg of you, stop!" I managed to get out before he began again with renewed energy. Matt flashed an impish smile at me, his missing teeth making him look even more comical. 

We finally settled down after a while, the score at Matt 2, Tasha 0. I put on a movie we had rented for that weekend, and I watched my little brother fall asleep in stages, his curly brown head resting against my side. Tomorrow I would stop and get him something, I told myself. I wasn't sure what, but whatever I could. He deserved that. 

* * *

**A/N: **End of Chapter Two, I suppose. Please review if you have any feeling or suggestion about it! 


	3. Captured!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. The characters and story are mine, however.

**A/N**: Yes, I do appreciate comments! Working on next chapters, but with no feedback, I can't really add much...

* * *

Guess what was the first thing I saw that morning? Yup, my alarm clock. I glared at it and murmured death sentences, reaching over to shut it up. Monday, the first day of a long week. Why couldn't Monday be Tuesday, or even Thursday?

I rolled lazily out of bed, landing in a heap on the floor. I disentangled myself from my covers and began my daily routine, as usual. Quick shower, quick breakfast, quick scramble to look for my things, quick traumas as I couldn't find them. Mom occasionally reprimanded me about this, but had decided some time ago that only I could deal with it. If I chose to start the day off like that, it was my decision according to her. Most of the time she watched me run from one side of the house to the other, "chasing my tail" as she put it.

I sat down to eat, serving myself a couple of small pancakes. They were extremely hot, so I dove into an apple while I waited for the pancakes to cool a little. I heard Mom talk to Dad about how things were going at work.

"David, listen to me. You need to stop this at the office before it gets out of hand..."

"It's just a bunch of workers who have been listening to the wrong speeches, honey. Once they realize that what they are demanding is impossible, they'll abandon their union and come back to work. Mark my words, we'll be fully up and running again before they start asking for Cinco de Mayo."

I looked at my watch and realized it was past time I get going. I grabbed some money for lunch from the kitchen counter and headed out the door, waving and shouting goodbye to my parents. They were still arguing, waving back distractedly.

I hurried to my car and dropped all my junk in the passenger's seat, running over to the driver's side and starting it up. I couldn't afford to be late today. A tardy would mean detention, which would mean we wouldn't get to do our little Saran wrap activity...

As I got onto the road that ran outside of my neighborhood, I noticed that a black Land Rover was speeding from behind me. Well, _I_ wasn't going to let him cause me any trouble, so I changed lanes and continued on my path. If some people wanted to drive freakishly fast in the city, that was their choice. The last thing I needed was a ticket or a collision, for that matter.

When I neared the street that turned away from the edge of the city towards my school, I noticed that the Land Rover was slowing down. Great, I told myself. Now that I need to turn left, he takes up that lane. I slowed down even more to get behind him, but he drew up even with me. I glared at him, and got an evil smile in return. Before I knew it, his Rover had bumped into my car and was pushing me to the right, off the street and into a patch of trees. I screamed as my car bounced up and down with the uneven terrain, finally coming to a stop a few feet from a tree.

It took me a few moments to catch my breath again, and as I did, I felt myself getting angrier and angrier by the second. The display screen on my car's stereo said 8:27. There was no way on_ Earth _I would make it to school on time now! Fuming, I unbuckled my seat belt and slammed the door open. He wanted to play rough? Then he'd get rough.

I stormed towards the Rover. The driver stepped out, a tall man in an expensive black suit. He had a grin on his face that only exacerbated my fury.

"You _IDIOT! _What gives you the right to do that?! I hope you're happy, mister, cause **you're** the one who's gonna be paying for that! Huh?" I stopped as I saw him fumble for something in his pocket. Then my blood ran cold as I stared into the barrel of a gun.

Oh crap... _Next time, I check to see if he's armed before I start yakking!_ With a supernatural effort, I managed to drop and roll out of the speeding projectile's path. This guy's NUTS, I told myself as I started running off, away from the road. Probably not the smartest move but it was the only way I could think of getting away from that psycho. The area was rough, with uneven stretches and hidden holes that would do a lot of damage to speeding ankles.

_Please, let me pull out of this one alive!_

I looked back, finding that the man was lagging further and further behind. I searched for a hiding place, anything I could hide under to get away from my pursuer. I took a sharp turn into a tree copse, and hid within the densest bush I could find. The leaves tore at my clothes and scratched my bare arms, but I took no notice of this. My main focus was survival.

My heart beat so hard I thought it would make the bush shake, giving me away. I tried to get control of my breath, forcing myself to slow down. I peered from the shadows of the bush, watching as the man passed by in the direction he thought I'd gone. His footsteps faded as he went away. I sighed, relieved, and fought my way out of the bush. If it had been hard to get in, getting out was almost impossible! I tugged and struggled, pulling and pushing until I finally managed to get out. Dusting my clothes, I started walking away from the tree, heading in what I roughly judged to be the direction of the crash.

I felt a sharp pain on my shoulder, and swatted at the bug that had bit me. My fingers felt a small dart sticking out of my shoulder, and I fell, quickly swallowed up by unconsciousness.


	4. The Room

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

**A/N**: Kinda rough still. Sorry about the wait but I had to make sure the events checked off with the ideas.

* * *

I woke up to a bright light shining in my face. I tried to shield my eyes, but when I tried to move my arms, I found that they were extremely heavy.

Same went for my legs. I tried to get up and glance at them, trying to see what it was that was binding them down. I groaned with the effort of lifting my head, but I finally managed to see over myself. And what I did see was not encouraging.

I was lying down on a metal table, the kind that one sees on TV shows. I had somehow lost my shoes and socks, and my clothes had been replaced by a hospital-like garment. Crap... I didn't remember doing that.

The most shocking part was that nothing was holding me down. I couldn't move myself, I wasn't strong enough to.

_What the heck had I been shot with? Animal tranquilizer? _I set my head down again, thinking about my situation. Whatever 'they' had given me, it was powerful. I couldn't bring myself to move, or even think clearly. It was a struggle to stay conscious, and I must have lost it a couple of times before anything of interest happened. I tried to snap awake when a glass door slid open just out of my range of sight and two pairs of footsteps stopped somewhere near my head. A few minutes of silence passed by, with only the shuffling and moving of papers to break the silence.

"Well?" one of them finally asked, nervously.

"Well what, you dummy? I asked for something else and you failed to bring it to me!" snapped the other one, in a deeper voice. He was clearly in control here.

"Will it still work? Or do we have to start over?" The first man was almost whining by now.

"It will work, or else, it's on your head. I'm tired of your team bringing in the sick and the weak, and having them die on our hands! If this turns out the same as last time, I'm blaming you." I panicked at what I had heard. Die? I was too young to die!

I heard the stretch of latex gloves as a person more to my right put them on, and I took the opportunity to speak up. "Erm, where am I?" I queried shyly, straining my neck to look behind my head.

"You are in a place some of us would call the Room, while others call it the 'Last' Room," the second man said, chuckling cruelly. "And you are also not allowed to ask questions. Here, I'll help you take care of your tongue while you wait." He stuck a piece of duct tape on my mouth, effectively shutting me up. "Now hold on tight while we run some tests." He got to work on the tests, drawing blood, taking my pulse, looking into my eyes, and doing just about everything the doctors do for a check-up, and even more. I shuddered and looked away as he drew my blood. I could stomach working in a filthy environment, but NEVER any medical stuff that had anything to do with the crimson red liquid.

He whistled after he got a few results. "I'm surprised... We might actually have a decent one here." He stepped around the table to an intercom system and pressed a button.

"Yes?"

"Bring the mix from room B-41. We're ready to begin on this one."

"B-41? I thought we were doing B-13...? Are you sure?" The lady on the other side seemed unsure of his choice.

As he turned around, I was able to see that he was an older man, maybe of about thirty-five or so. His dark black hair was beginning to show some white spots. His chin was covered with a small, stubbly beard, and he was beginning to get very round about the waist. What struck me the most, though, were his eyes. They were filled with malice and contempt, and I had never seen anything like them before.

An aide entered the room, wearing the same white lab coat Old Nasty was. He was wheeling in a cart with rows of chemicals and vials, and a row of test tubes filled with a dark red liquid. I paled when I saw the tubes, and I was barely able to hold my stomach's hydrochloric acid down. Not that it would have mattered much with the tape on my mouth, anyways. I was completely gagged and immobilized, and I was about to be injected with who knew what.

"Alright. Tie her up. We don't want the same thing that happened to the boy from Muriel to happen again, would we? The tranquilizer should wear off in a while." Old Nasty was caressing the test tubes like they were a prized possession. He had a faraway look on his face. The aide closed some manacles around my wrists and ankles, making me blink. _Uhh, those weren't there before..._

"Hand me one of the syringes." He took a syringe and injected a few drops of the liquid into a sample of my blood, then stuck it under a microscope after a while.

"Hmm, no unfavorable reactions to the serum. Guess we can get right to it," he said, grinning in my direction. He brought it up to eye level to measure the contents. "Now this will probably sting. A lot. Which is why you're tied down and gagged." He smirked, bringing the needle close to my arm. I struggled wildly to get out of reach, but all I managed to do was break out a sweat and burn energy I didn't have.

_STOP!! Please don't!!_

The needle pierced my lower biceps, missing the vein the first try. Old Nasty frowned and withdrew it for a second attempt. I screamed silently as pain flooded my senses. My arm instantly went numb and started to swell to a size I hadn't seen on any living creature before.

The other three needles added more pain to the mix, and I was exhausted by the time Nasty was done.

"Well, that went well." He dusted his hands off, and signaled to the aide. He whispered a few things in his ear, and left the room. The aide paused for a second, shrugged, and then placed a mask over my face. The last thing I saw was the aide's back as he reached for a clipboard.


	5. Inspection

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. Touch my characters, however, and I'll come after you.

Foxyjosh: You're right, how embarrassing... I meant to say that she was unable to move. It's fixed now, I think. Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

I woke up in a cold room. My back hurt from sleeping on a hard surface. I looked down and saw that I had slept on a hard metal bed all this time. Dang, that wasn't hospitality. Then again, from what I had witnessed earlier, I was wrong in expecting anything decent from this group, whoever they were.

The walls were bare cement, rough and unyielding. A single domed camera kept watch from a corner, its blinking red light mocking me. There was a low screen in a corner, what I thought was the "privacy area". Other than that and the single, fluorescent light above my head, there wasn't anything else. A solid-looking steel door with a single window and a hatch near the bottom stood between me and freedom.

I stood up and stretched my aching back, wincing as the sore spots complained about the sleep. I rolled my shoulders and massaged what I could reach of my back, thinking about my situation. Where was I? What was going on? And what was with that whole test tube deal? Maybe I'd been dreaming...?

I looked down at my right arm and ruled that option out. No, the slight bump that was still there was too real for that. It had turned a faint red with blue streaks where the veins were swollen. I found the four holes where the needles had gone in. I pushed in with my fingers, and found a small hard lump underneath the skin. Weird... what had been in those tubes?

I sat down hard with my back against the wall, still tired and trying to figure out what was going on. The cold was starting to get to me, and I shivered where I sat. Just a little bit colder and I'd be able to see my breath.

Suddenly, a blinding pain rushed through my body, leaving me down on the ground and panting for breath. I tensed up and clutched at my head, where little dots of light danced around my vision. I was... in agony.

But the pain disappeared as swiftly as it had come. I straightened out from the ball I had curled up into, my breath coming in ragged bursts and unevenly.

I lay there for a while, resting and calming down, which was impossible considering I didn't have a single clue as to what was going on. The hours slowly dragged by, and I was lost in time. I only noticed that I was getting hungrier by the minute and there was nothing edible in my 'cell'.

Finally, as if on cue, the hatch on the door opened inwards and let in what looked like a small plate and a tin cup.

"Hey! Wait! I have a question..."

I rushed toward the hatch, only to have it slam shut in my face. I sighed in despair, and looked down at my 'meal'. It consisted of a piece of bread, some cheese, and a blackened banana. Yuck, it looked even worse than the stuff they claimed was edible at school. I turned away from it, unable to bring myself to eat such a meal.

As time went by, though, my stomach's rumbling turned to loud hunger growls, and the food began to look much more appealing than it had before. I finally had to submit to the urge to eat over my disgust over the food. I gulped down the banana, thinking that perhaps I could erase the memory of it with the bread and cheese. I made a face as a funky aftertaste lingered in my tongue. The bread was hard and stale, and the cheese had a weird texture. Strangely, they had the same funky aftertaste.

I downed the water in the tin cup to get rid of the funky taste, without thinking about how long it would be before I'd have water once again. It was cold, too, and only made me shiver worse while partially washing down the aftertaste.

I stood up and walked around the cell, thinking that maybe I'd warm up with some exercise. I found out that, indeed, the wall was meant to provide some privacy while still being watched by the camera. There was a small hole in the corner, slanted downwards, and I had to plug my nose and step away from it before I lost my meager meal. Guess that was the drainage system...

The walls were rough and filled with little holes, but strong. I ran my hand agaisnt them, trying to feel any peeling or crumbling parts, but found none. They wanted to make sure that whoever was in here would stay in. I despaired and imagined myself sitting here in solitary confinement while my friends and classmates graduated and lived their lives.

I finally came to the door and stared out. There was a small cement corridor outside the door, with a few windows here and there. Thus I was able to determine that it was somewhere around early morning, because the light coming in was faint and weak. The smooth glass window on the door belied its thickness. When I pounded my fists against it, it didn't even shake.

The hatch near the bottom was as smooth as everything else. It had a rubber-ish covering to keep sound in and out. I tried peeling the covering, but I wasn't able to get my fingernails under it. I gave up after some time, and looked sadly at my cell. I was a prisoner for no reason.

* * *

Unbeknownst to her, she was being watched intently by a person in a room labeled 'Observation'. There were a myriad of security screens and electronic devices in the room, taking up an entire wall. Another wall held communications equipment, with an intercom system and a radio base.

A single figure stood in front of the screen, hands clasped behind its back, staring at a monitor. A small label below the screen read "R-7", a red light indicating that the camera in the cell was on.

"So. She has awakened, and the mix has already begun diffusion and circulation. Very interesting... We might have to keep close watch on this one," she muttered, reaching for a clipboard that was on a chair. She scribbled a few notes on it, then turned back to the screen. The subject was sitting against the wall, with her head on her hands and staring off into space.

"What's on your mind, my new toy? Just wait until you see what's in store for you... I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."


	6. Sickness

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. Touch my characters, however, and I'll come after you.

If I may ask something, please read and review!

* * *

The next day, I lay in bed, barely awake, when the door of my cell opened. I squinted and tried to make out who it was, but only managed to see two burly men come in, followed by a third figure, slimmer than the men.

"What... what's going on? " They grabbed me roughly by the shoulders and forced my arm out. The bump was still red, less inflated than before, but still criss-crossed by the angry veins. The third person pinched it, and I gasped with pain.

"This will not do." She stepped out into the hall and said to another unseen person, "Tell Smith to increase the enzyme dosage, but not overdo it. This one needs to be ready for the summit this month." She came back into the room and stared at me for a long time, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Who are you people? Why am I here?" I blurted out, unable to restrain myself. I glared at the woman.

"Patience, my dear. You shall see soon enough. For now, be content to know you're part of something big," she said, chuckling to herself. "Let's go."

She signaled to the men, who shoved me down and left._ How rude_. I drew myself up onto the bed again, resuming my pondering of life. Why was I being treated like a prisoner? What had I ever done to these people? The Land Rover incident? If that was it, they were overreacting.

I couldn't figure out anything from the woman's cryptic response, but I was rather pleasantly surprised to find that my next meal was more nutritional and complete. There was a decent apple, something that looked like mashed potatoes and... meat?

I blinked, unable to believe my eyes. There was a hunk of what looked like steak hiding between the potatoes and the cheese. My mouth began to water and I dug in with gusto, savoring the texture of the food. Oohh yeah, this was much better. There was more water this time, served in a newer tin cup. I almost didn't notice the aftertaste this time, my mouth was too flooded with flavor.

I relaxed back, sitting cross legged, back resting against the wall. I was more contented now, though my predicament still worried me. I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew I was being jolted awake by another spasm of pain. A burning sensation started in my right arm and spread to the rest of my body, leaving me screaming and squirming with pain in its wake. I thought the pain would not go away this time. My head felt like it would burst, making my eyes tear up unconsciously.

It took longer this time for it to fade, but finally, it did, though not completely. I was left with a vivid reminder of the incident in a headache that refused to go away and worsened over time.

I didn't even try to get up this time. I lay there, sick and feverish, watching as the door hatch opened and food was shoved in. I was so weak I couldn't get up and get the food myself. Whoever brought the food stepped into the cell and left it in front of me, leaving without a word of concern or a single glance.

Night came and went, I drifted in and out of consciousness, feeling my body temperature rise with every passing heartbeat. What was the point at which there was permanent damage to body tissues? 107? I couldn't even think clearly by now. All I was able to do was moan and whimper with the pain.

I heard footsteps outside, faintly, but they did not stop at my door. I despaired and started to believe that I had been left to die, alone in a cold cell. I fell into a deep stupor, stirring only to twist as my body was racked by new pains. Finally, I lost the battle, and passed into blissfull oblivion.

* * *

The heavy steel door opened into the cell, and a group ventured in to find the girl, unconscious and feverish. Her breaths were shallow and uneven, and when one of the men peeled back her eyelid, they found the eyes had rolled back completely.

"Smith, you really overdid it this time," the woman who had been there before hissed under her breath. "I'll have your head yet, you old poisoner..."

"She's out, burning like I've never felt anyone do before and survive. Should we have the clean-up crew on standby?" One of the men with her asked, nudging the girl with his foot. His face was devoid of any feeling, and he really treated the poor girl like nothing more than a toy.

She sighed and was about to give in to her fears, when a small movement caught her eye. She smiled gleefully, like a child, and shook her head. "Everyone, out! Move it! She's still hanging in there..."

* * *

A/N: Any guesses as to what she will be? Can't have you guess afterwards, it's kinda obvious... I'll give you a clue: Shisa. If you look that up on Wikipedia, you might find it.


	7. Big changes

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. Touch my characters, however, and I'll come after you.

Thanks for the reviews, they made me release my grip on this chapter (though I'm not sure how THAT will turn out!). Please be patient with me... xD

* * *

An itch in my left ear woke me up. I yawned and stretched, sleepily reaching up to scratch the offending itch, only to find that my ear wasn't the shape I thought it should be. It was pointy and bigger than what it should have been.

_What the...? _

All traces of sleep disappeared as I grabbed the unfamiliar ear and pulled on it to take a look at it out of the corner of my eye. It was, indeed, pointy, but also covered in orange... FUR?!

I gasped as I realized that my hands were covered in the same orange fur, ending in clawed fingers. The palms had turned into pads, rough and pink. They were as dexterous as my hands had been, retaining opposable thumbs. I wiggled my fingers and moved my hand around in wonder, flexing and unflexing. There was no doubt that it belonged to me.

My eyes opened in sheer horror as I took in the rest of my body. Through rips and tears in my clothes, I was able to see the changes. The same orange fur covered most of my body, except for patches of cream fur and a black-covered belly. There were black stripes on my body, contrasting with the orange fur. Small tufts of cream fur stuck out from my forearms and around my legs. My feet were now a weird shape, shorter but incredibly stable and agile. They, too, ended in clawed toes and rough pink pads.

A tuft of cream colored fur covered the area around my collarbones, running up my neck. I braced myself for the hardest part, and explored my face with my furry hands. My nose had changed to resemble a snout, but still allowing for communication. Sharp, canine teeth decorated the inside of my mouth, and I found out that my long, wavy brown hair had turned the same shade as the cream tufts.

_Maybe I'm dreaming..._ I thought, hoping that I would wake up anywhere but here. Pain should wake me up, right? I pinched my arm, wincing as the pain registered in my brain. No, I wasn't dreaming...

I could only stare at what lay before me, tears filling up my eyes and running down my foreign face. This 'adventure' was going from bad, to worse, to nightmare.

Just then, the door opened and the same woman from before stepped in with her two guards following her. One of them shut the door after them, preventing me from making a run for it.

"You..." my voice came out as a gruff growl. "You did this to me!" I threw myself at her, only to stumble and fall down face first. Stupid body... once I got the hang of it she'd see!

"You know, that tail of yours is probably not supposed to be under your legs," chuckled one of the bodyguards, earning a guffaw from the other one and a glare from the woman.

_Tail? Oh no..._ I looked behind me and found a big fluffy tail hanging out in a heap on the floor._ Of course, no freak would be complete without a tail! _Angry tears escaped my eyes, and I stood up defiantly, pushing my tail back.

"Oh dear, come here. You've been through a lot, and I understand how you feel." She smiled in a benevolent way and held out her arms.

"You understand nothing about how I feel. Why you... you'll pay for this!" I lunged, once again, this time with no embarrassing stumbles, and managed to get within striking range of her. I slashed out, claws extended, not knowing what I intended to do but filled with rage. So they wanted to mess with me? Fine. They would get to.

A sudden shock in my side caused me to stop mid-slash and fall, clutching the affected spot. One of the guards held a Taser in his hand, while the other one drew out what looked like a rod.

"Just try that again, freak, and you'll end up with more than a little pain on your side," the one with the Taser warned.

"Shush. Sweetie, they're right. If you're not going to cooperate, we're gonna have to force you. Now hold still and don't try anything suspicious." She approached me cautiously, and I smiled smugly as I noticed I was now significantly taller than her. Both men stood by my side, weapons at the ready, just in case.

"Open wide. You're only making this hard on yourself. Ah, there we go. Much better!" She lifted my chin up, inspecting my teeth and mouth like a horse. I growled deep in my throat, making her jump back. _Hah, scaredy-cat!_ However, another shock to the other side shut me up. _Party poopers..._

Next came the arms and legs, with a series of instructions and challenges to test my hands' abilities and dexterity. When she had inspected them to her heart's content, she circled around me and then stepped back. "Now, special abilities," she said, rubbing her hands together.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked, not following her meaning. "I can juggle a soccer ball, drive, sing, and make food disappear. Which one would you like to see?" I hoped she wanted to see my driving, or at least my magic trick.

"No, silly!" she said, chuckling. "You know, fire and all that. You're a fire Pokemon! You're supposed to know these things..."

_Crazy woman say what? "_Uhh, what?" Come to think of it, it made some sense... but Pokemon don't exist!

She saw the disbelief in my eyes, and looked at a clipboard. "Number fifty-nine, Arcanine. Fire Pokemon. It says here, along with other things, 'Mastery of Fire'..." She looked up and stood expectantly, arms crossed.

"Well, you're wrong. I don't know anything about fire other than it hurts. Badly." I crossed my arms as well.

"Perhaps you're a slow learner. That can be taken care of, don't worry. Well, our job here is finished. We'll see each other soon!" she winked and walked out of the cell with the bodyguards.

* * *

"Well?" the man with the Taser asked the woman. "What do you think of our newest recruit?"

"Incredible phisique. She has a serious discipline and obedience problem, but that shouldn't be too much of a problem. Also, she hasn't... found herself yet. Look for a suitable handler, and we'll begin her training. She'll fight the Scyther at the end of the week. **Then **we'll see just how tough she really is."


	8. Of Walls and Clothes

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. Touch my characters, however, and I will mostly definitely come after you.

Pika: She is a hybrid, but she retains her human traits. She walks on two feet, and has clawed fingers, which I think would really make pinching oneself extremely painful. Otherwise, you're right, she wouldn't pinch herself. :D I guess she's not fully Arcanine, you could still mistake her for a human if you saw her in the dark and maybe shut your left eye, and then your right eye ;) Human posture, human speech... some Arcanine traits, as you will see later on. Definitely outcast, in more ways than one. Hope all that makes sense...

Now, for our story of suffering and misery!

* * *

I sat down and thought about what the woman had said. Arcanine, a fire Pokemon. If I was part-fire Pokemon, shouldn't I have some special fire abilities or something? I clapped my hands and willed fire to appear, but nothing came out. Embarrassed, I turned to see the camera was on. _Oh boy... _

So. A fire Pokemon but no fire? How lame could I get?

I moped around for a while, wallowing in a self-pity fest. Then my thoughts turned to my home and my family, and I was filled with even more sadness. What were they doing right now? Had they found my car and thought me dead? How long had it been now, four days? More? I had no idea how long I had been out for when I got captured... Could be a whole week for all I knew.

A thought formed in my mind. I had to get out of here, but how? Looking at the four imposing walls, I made up my mind and threw myself against the one across from the door. Hopefully, I wasn't too high up.

_Oompf! _My shoulder met cold, hard cement and I rubbed it, glaring at the wall. My claws fared no better, and I stopped soon afterwards. I looked longingly at the small hole in the corner, then snapped myself out of that proposition. There was _no way_ I would force myself down the crap channel. It was too small for anything. Besides, I'd die of bad air or worse. Who knew what lay in wait there, after years of rotting and decomposition?

I sat down, defeated for the moment, and amused myself by experimenting with my tail. I managed to get small, simple, jerky movements out of it, but nothing more. When I got bored of it, I started inspecting my hospital-like gown. It wasn't in good condition. My tail had ripped out of it in the back, and it was a little tight for me. At least it covered me, right?

"Hey! You! Yes, whoever is looking at the camera. Couldn't I at least have some decent clothes?!" I waved my hands and pointed at my clothes until I lost interest.

_They probably couldn't care less about things like these..._

The door hatch opened and, as usual, a plate was pushed in. I rushed to it, eagerly. I hadn't eaten for a while. Make that I hadn't eaten since... before... that.

My ears drooped when I found bread, cheese, and another unappetizing banana. What had happened to the hunk of meat and the mashed potatoes? I took the same approach as before, attacking the banana and then ridding myself of the flavor with the other things. No funky aftertaste this time? I shrugged and dug into the bread, noticing that everything tasted more now. Even stale bread.

_I guess it comes with the job..._

I fell to napping after eating. One moment I was perfectly awake, and next thing I knew, I was nodding off. _Might as well get comfortable... _Lying down on my bed, arms under my head, I finally closed my eyes and drifted off into sleep.

What I didn't notice was a small, faint voice fighting against the distance and the elements, reaching into my cell.

-_Hello?-_

* * *

"You've been given another chance, but this will be your last. Disappoint us and you'll be dismissed from the project."

A semi-circle of six people faced a single, lone person standing in the middle of a conference room. His white coat was covered with pink stains, and a ring of trash decorated his shoulders. His shoulders drooped a little, expecting the worst.

"You have been assigned to R-7. You will oversee training and track progress, and be ready for an assessment at the end of the week. That is all, you may go now." His head jerked up when he heard his new assignment, and he opened his mouth to protest, but then thought better of it. The board had turned its attention to a different matter, leaving the guy to the security guards that were to escort him to his new post.


	9. The First Test

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. Touch my characters, however, and I will most definitely come after you!

If you happen to read this, please let me know through a review or a private message. It makes me sit down and concentrate on the story!

Thanks to pikachuhunter1 and Foxyjosh for the reviews! I appreaciate the feedback and comments :D

1001 hits! Now, if only more people review... hint hint!

This was probably one of the funnest parts to write for me... I hope you enjoy it as well!

The sound of the steel door opening woke me up. Gosh, I was beginning to hate when that happened. It never brought good news.

Today was no different.

"Get up! Your presence is 'requested' elsewhere." A guy of about my age stood over me, a Taser in his hand as well.

"Goodness... do you people only roll with weapons? Besides, what if I decide not to go?" I yawned and stretched slowly, taking my time while waiting for an answer.

"That is not an option. Follow me." _Geez, what's with the bossiness? _Amazingly, I stepped out of my cell for the first time since I had been brought here. My paws made no noise on the cold cement floor, and I followed the guy with the Taser. Needless to say, I couldn't resist making faces at his back... hopefully no cameras caught that.

The hallway wound around the side of the cell, leading up some stairs and turning a corner, down another hallway. A door to the right led away from our current position, but it was shut. To the left was a longer hallway, with several doors to the right, each marked with a different code. At the end, there was a door that said "AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL _ONLY_". A small keypad with a slot for swiping cards and a screen stood right next to the door. My 'guide' took a card from his pocket and swiped it. The screen flashed red for a few moments, then displayed 'ENTER ACCESS CODE'. After entering an impossibly long code, my guide motioned for me to enter first. The screen turned green and now displayed 'ACCESS GRANTED'. With a slight click, the door slid open.

I stepped into a brightly lit reception room and whistled. The walls were a clean white, while emerald green tiles made a line on the walls. Comfortable couches and chairs were scattered around the room, along with a small fridge and a water fountain. A flat-screen TV in the corner was playing some old black and white movie, while a stack of magazines covered a table near the other side. A small bar occupied another corner, with a couple of cabinets behind it. They were labeled 3, 5, and 6, in different colors.

"I could get used to this place..." I said, sinking into one of the couches and putting my paws up.

"That's too bad, because you're not allowed to be here. Come on, this isn't our stop."

I made no effort to get up, until I saw the Taser in his hands pointed at me. Grumbling, I got up as slowly as I could and followed the guy through another set of doors. I shot the room one last longing glance before entering into an empty, square room.

There were three doors, one in each wall. They were labeled 1, 2, and 3. Muffled sounds came from inside two of the rooms, but I couldn't make out anything from them.

I looked as my guide stepped up to room number 1 and entered yet another code. _How can he memorize all those letters and numbers?_ The door slid open, and we entered a room full of what is best described as something that looked like a children's inflatable obstacle courses, only for real. The kind that have obstacles and tunnels and a big slide at the end, but this room was less about inflatable and more about the real deal. When the doors slid shut, my guide inspected the room, then turned to me.

"Alright. I've been assigned to oversee your training. From now on, you are to do exactly what I tell you to. See this room? This is an agility trial. You must get to the flag on the other side and take it off its stand. You will be timed. There are hidden 'traps' along the way, and if I were you, I'd be on the lookout for them. This is no joke." He grabbed a stick and poked at a space next to him. A barrage of small, BB gun-like pellets bombarded the spot he had poked.

_Whoa! I'm supposed to get through this? _

"Ready?"

"Wait, this is not a good idea... I'm not sure I can make it..." the ground under my feet started sinking with metallic clicks, then released like a spring, sending me flying through the air, "in one piece!"

"Too late..." he muttered, releasing the lever he had pushed.

_No fair! Couldn't I have been a flying Pokemon then? _

Something kicked in while I was flying through the air, and I spun to land on all fours, unscathed. "SWEET!" I gasped, straightening up and looking around for the flag.

There it was, sitting on a raised metal platform just a few yards away. There were rock climbing wall-like pegs sticking out of the wall, leading to the platform. Smiling, I started towards the platform. A prickle in the back of my neck made me look up, and I jumped away in time to avoid a giant sledgehammer swinging my way. _I guess he really wasn't kidding when he warned me. _

I landed closer to the platform, crouching and looking about for more unpleasant surprises. There were a lot of wires and random pieces in the ceiling, but nothing I could make sense out of. Nothing moved on either side of me, and I started to relax for a second.

Big mistake.

When I took driving lessons, the teacher always used to say, "Look to the front, sides, _and _back. Don't ever let any zone be unknown to you." Guess I should have failed that one...

Something hit me in the lower back, and I started to lose all feeling from that area. I turned around and saw dozens of crossbow-looking contraptions tensing up their lines, with glinting metal darts aimed straight at me. _CRAP! _

I hit the deck, shutting my eyes and barely avoiding turning into a pincushion. The projectiles zoomed past so close that I could feel them pass, their speed whipping up my hair.

This was going badly for me. The sooner I grabbed that flag, the sooner I could be out of that living deathtrap. Maybe... if I just made an all-out dash for it, no traps could activate fast enough to get me.

With a roar, I got up and ran for the wall as if my life depended on it (which it probably did for all I knew). Something moved out of the corner of my eye, but I kept running and looking at my target. Just a few more steps and I would reach the wall...

One of the floor panels looked strange, and I soon found out why. It was nothing more than a sponge that looked exactly like the rest of the floor. When I stepped on it, it sunk to a pool of some liquid that was kind of... oozy. No pain, no harm, nothing? I smiled smugly and continued running, only to fall flat on my face when my paw slipped.

_What was that thing? Soap? Oil? _

I shook the thing off, drying my paw with my clothes. _Yuck! I hope they wash these from time to time... _I set off again, avoiding any floor panels that looked even slightly odd. I reached the wall and looked up to the platform, taking in the pegs that stuck out of the wall.

_I can do this, I've practiced rock climbing before..._

I grabbed the first peg, and tugged on it. It felt solid enough, so I grabbed a second one and placed my feet over two more. I reached up and grabbed one above my head, a strangely shaped red rock.

_It's all about where you place your feet, was what the guy at the gym told me. If you rely too much on your hands, you'll end up doing pull-ups. _

I quickly found my climbing rhythm, paw over paw, moving up the wall. I was almost there when a slight noise made me look up. The pegs near the ceiling were shaking and dislodging themselves, and those below them were starting to do so as well. I swallowed hard and forced myself to speed up, slipping a couple of times because of carelessness.

I finally reached the metal platform, pulling myself on to it just as the pegs I had been holding on to loosened up. I sighed, and picked the flag up. A loud buzzer went off, like the ones in basketball games. My trainer ran up to the platform, with no traps going off. _Shouldn't he have to suffer like I did? Oh well, at least it's over. _I turned and plucked the dart off my back, examining it. It was small, and not sharp enough to penetrate too deeply, but it was probably drugged or something. I offered it to my handler with a crooked grin, elated to be through with the challenge.

"You completed the challenge in thirteen minutes and forty-seven seconds, " he told me, taking the dart. "Not the best time, but at least you survived. We're done here for the day." He typed something into an electronic device that looked like a small, red laptop, then entered the code to open the door. He peeked outside, then motioned for me to exit. The center room was deserted, but there was a strange scent in the air. I sniffed and tried to pinpoint it, but it was something I'd never encountered before.

"What's that smell?" I asked, knowing that I probably wouldn't get an answer but curiosity getting the best of me.

"What's what smell?" My new 'handler' stared at me with an odd look on his face. Was that... alarm?

"Err... never mind," I muttered, ignoring the scent as we entered the waiting room. "I'm parched, I'll be right back." Without waiting for an answer, I trotted up to the drinking fountain and quenched my thirst, the icy cold water refreshing my mouth.

The little droplets that didn't go into my mouth formed a small pool of water, and I saw my reflection on it. Two strange eyes stared back up at me, surrounded by orange and cream colored fur.

I was reminded that I was no longer like the rest of the world. What could I do? Where would I go? Most importantly, how could I get out of this place?

I poked at the pool, watching as the small ripples caused by my finger distorted my face even more. First chance I got, I'd get out of this prison. Then... who knew what came after that.

I turned back to see my handler pouring a bag of dry pellets onto a doggy dish. "Oh no, I am _sooo_ not eating that!" I crossed my arms in defiance, staring him straight in the eye. "And you might as well get rid of that doggy dish, 'cause that's not for me, either!"

He glared at me, then got back to his task. He left the dish out, turning to an unlabeled cabinet behind the bar and posting up a paper with a big, red '7' on it. He moved a few things in the cabinet, and then turned to me.

"You better eat that, that's your lunch. There won't be any more food for a while. You have an appointment as soon as we're done here."

"Uhh, I don't think so! I'm not a dog, even if you treat me like one. I'm just like anyone else! Would_ you_ eat this?" I pushed the dish away, and walked over to the small fridge. I found some cold cuts and a piece of cheesecake, and claimed them as my own. Before he could do anything but watch, I had wolfed down the results of my raid, licking cheesecake off my hands and sitting down comfortably.

"Now, for a little nap..." I said, as I started dozing off. I'd never been one to nap much, but lately, it was just beyond me. I yawned and tucked my hand under my head, curling up on my side. My tail resting over my feet, my fur acting as a warm, fuzzy blanket to keep my body temperature constant, the only thing that was missing now was soothing music. That, though, I didn't need to fall asleep.

* * *

Ray looked at the girl in the couch, thinking hard about what he had seen. This was no dumb animal, this was a living, breathing, thinking person. He would have to be careful about his actions. He couldn't afford to mess up.

And yet, she was being treated like an animal. She was caged, and had been given a number to take the place of her name. Come to think of it, he didn't know anything about her other than her number, Seven, and that the professor had taken a liking to her.

He sighed, momentarily overwhelmed. Why had he not thought more about the too-good-to-be-true offer he had been made? Now he was tangled up in all of this, and if the company went down, so would he.

Her furry form rose and fell steadily with each breath she took. She had a peaceful smile on her face, one that softened her rough features. Her tail twitched occasionally, but she gave no sign of waking up. There were no wounds from her bout with the trial room, other than the spot where the metal dart had released its anesthetic solution into her back.

She had an interesting style, probably greatly enhanced by instincts and her Pokemon's natural agility. And that incident back in the central room? Could she have smelled the others? Maybe they should get going, before something undesirable happened.

He went out to the central room, and listened as hard as he could to try to judge how much time they had left. One of the other rooms was completely silent, which worried him. He ran back to the waiting room, taking a last look before shaking the morph awake.

"Come on, we have to go. You can sleep all you want back in your room." He ignored her snort at that last statement, and led her back to the cell. She walked behind him slowly, yawning and sighing. Perhaps they could move the appointment to her cell?

His radio clipped onto his belt, he took it and switched to a different frequency, waiting for another person to finish speaking before he did. "Doctor Val? I'm taking Seven back now, she has completed her trial but is too exhausted to make it to the examination room. Maybe you'd like to see her in her room?" He crossed his fingers, knowing that Seven was the doctor's current 'pet'.

A few seconds of tense static went by before a short answer, "Fine. Have her ready."

**A/N: **Due to the amount of work that I am having to tackle at the time, I won't be able to update for a while. However, I would still appreciate comments and maybe even ideas. I'm stuck right in front of a concrete wall. I knew I shouldn't have started writing the story on two different sources...


	10. Overview

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. Touch my characters, however, and I'll keelhaul ye!

About the break room: This was due to the way the building was first planned and designed, and what it was used for before a group of scientists with "special interests" moved in. She wasn't supposed to make use of the room, but... Mr. Handler is a little lacking in the firmness department. Perhaps it may become clearer in later chapters...

Some needed supplies are stored in the break room, as well.

Pika: I think he was trying to avoid confronting the fact that what the "company" was doing was immoral and just plain out wrong. If he didn't see her as more than an experiment, no different than a lab rat or something like that, it would be easier to carry on working in that place.

Alright, I know I haven't updated in a while, and I know that this is probably not the most interesting chapter ever (of course, feel free to disagree with me on that last point!)...

But, cut me some slack, the latest chapter is out. There's a lot of stuff going on in life for me right now, one could say I'm at a crossroads that could determine too much in my future to take it lightly. So yeah. No flaming or complaining, but I still accept constructive criticism :3

Plus... -whispers- I think I may have found some more direction for the story, at least in what pertains to the chapters after the few that come after this one! If that makes sense, you'll know that I'll write when I can. If I don't update in two months, know that I have a lot going on.

**But please keep in mind, this chapter is kinda rough. It is mostly to let you know that I'm still alive, and also to get an idea of what the readers think. **Don't flame me for that in your review. If you see a different way I could organize it, please let me know either thru a polite review or a private message. Yes, I do accept those.

Mwahahaha, my A/N is almost as random and unorganized as my story and life are. :3 I had fun writing this up!

This is my favorite part of the chapters (not!), where I get to ask you readers to review. Please and thank you! ;)

* * *

Why did we have to leave so suddenly? Couldn't we just have waited a couple of minutes, or even half an hour? The couch was much more comfortable than my miserable metal bed...

I trudged after my handler, unable to suppress multiple yawns. I almost tripped several times, my paws too heavy to lift completely. Fortunately, this time we went down the stairs, instead of up. Otherwise I might have just fallen asleep right there and then.

As soon as we got to my cell, I collapsed on top of my bed, still overcome by my urge to nap. I managed to get myself in the most comfortable position I could, disappointed because it was nowhere as nice as the couch back in the waiting room.

"Alright, I'm out. You wake me up one more time and I swear I'll have to seriously hurt you." With that, I fell asleep once more.

-.-.-

Soon after she'd fallen asleep the second time, the steel door opened and Doctor Valinsky stepped in, wearing a white lab coat. She was an amazingly accomplished doctor for someone still so young, being the driving force behind the project and the one to unlock the genetic code to her alterations.

She was known to sometimes favor a thing over others, and once she took a fancy to something, it was extremely difficult to make her lose interest. There was something different this time, though. It was like she felt a bond with her newest toy, the Arcanine morph. She had sworn to herself that she would undertake to make Seven's stay more pleasurable, while managing to keep her in the facility.

"What was her time?" she now asked, glancing from the sleeping morph to her handler. Whoever had picked her had had a good eye.

"Thirteen minutes and forty-seven seconds, and a couple of stumbles. She managed to avoid the hammer and the darts, though only by fractions of a second."

She approached the sleeping form carefully, remembering their former encounter and her anger. She'd turn that around, though. She caressed the creamy fur on her hands, marveling at its soft feel. She frowned when she found her hair was tangled and dirty, and decided she would get her new clothes. Black ones, to go along with her stripes and her belly fur.

"Have her train well, you know how that Scyther fights. I wouldn't want such a fine specimen to go to waste at the hands of that brute. Oh, before I forget, was there anything remarkable during the trial? Did she use any special moves?" She couldn't help feeling somewhat anxious. Unless Seven finally learned her moves, she was going to have a hard time during her assessment.

"Well, I'm not sure, nothing really worth mentioning, I believe." The handler looked a little nervous, knowing what was at stake.

"Very well. See if you can get her to use an attack, especially because of the assessment. Also, her diet needs to be nourishing. More protein, and plenty of it. That is all for now." She turned to leave, her mind taken up in wild fantasies and hopes. Soon, Seven would be the company's pride and top morph. Seven would be the most important item on the agenda for the summit. They'd make a fortune, and she would become the company's image. Yes, it would all fall nicely into place.

-.-.-

The professor sat down in her office. She took out a wad of papers that were constantly kept under lock. She skimmed through them, memories springing back from years past.

They contained the secrets to the experiments, their discoveries and the methods used. They tracked the project's progress, through every failure and every success, every misfortune and every new idea. In short, everything.

She searched through the pile for a particular one. Experiments One and Two. Outcome: Failure. She grimaced at the memory of the dead morphs. They hadn't lasted long at all. Their DNA had become extremely unstable, leading to a premature death.

Experiment Three. Outcome: Success. They had moved away from mutating the Pokemon into using a human as a base. This enhanced the morph's reasoning abilities and made the experiments considerably less messy. Three was doing well to date.

Experiment Four. Outcome: Failure. Some naive lab assistant had messed up the formula, resulting in an unstable DNA code and subsequent death. They had hired Smith after that. He now managed anything that had to do with formula and catalyzing enzymes.

Experiment Five. Outcome: Success. Unfortunately for her, that Scyther morph still lived. She had a faint suspicion that it had cracked a long time ago. It sure behaved like it. She sighed. It was too much trouble for what it was worth.

Experiment Six. Outcome: Success. This morph had behaved perfectly, until one day when it suddenly entered a phase of rebellion. It wouldn't cooperate, so it had been moved to the basement, where it was locked up by itself in a specially-made cell.

And finally, Seven. A complete success, minus the special moves. They might be able to negotiate around that, but she was the best by far. She was the one who could sell the project to investors and customers. And she was hers.

-.-.-

I awoke, refreshed after the nap. I turned away from my bed to find my next meal had come. Boy, those day naps were taking up a lot of my time now. How long had I slept for? Well, it wasn't like I even had any appointments or things to do anyways. It was a healthy way to pass the time.

My nose perked up at the smell wafting over from the plate. There was a piece of steak, looking juicy and delicious, and some more cheese cubes. My mouth started watering, and I couldn't help tearing into the meat like I was starving.

This was a step up from what I had been given before. Why were they suddenly treating me like this? I shrugged and ate the cheese cubes, playing with them a bit before sticking them in my mouth.

After my meal, I decided to try to fix my appearance a little bit. It was a little hard with no brush and no hair products, but I finally managed to untangle my hair a bit. I tore a scrap out of my clothes and used it to hold my hair back. _There, I can finally see... _

I was bored after a while_. Boy, there just really isn't much to do around here other than trials, eating, and sleeping! _I yawned and tried to shake off the lately ever-persent drowsiness that hung around me when I suddenly caught a whiff of a disctinctive odor.

Perfume. And not just any perfume. I'd already smelled it before, but I couldn't quite place where. It smelled of... tangerine.

I sat down against the wall and racked my memory for the source of the scent. It was there, just out of reach of my consciousness. I sighed, finally giving up. I hadn't gotten the hang of this whole scent thing. Come to think of it, I had no idea what I could really do. My mind drifted back to a couple of days before, when the professor had told me of my supposed ability. How could I tap into my potential?

With a new sense of purpose and a new goal, I settled down thinking that, for the next couple of hours, I would see just what I could do and use it to my advantage. What I didn't see coming was the sudden urge to sleep, the one that completely overwhelmed my body's ability to stay awake.

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, so it's not a great chapter. Fine, it's not even an _interesting _chapter... But I had to revise it and insert some important information in there. This is one of the few chapters subject to revision and editing. If it does happen, I'll let you know in the chapter I post up! :3

So... errr... R&R please, otherwise my willpower to write this story might just abandon me...


	11. The Second Test

Disclaimer: Seriously. I **_don't_** own Pokemon. Only thing I can really claim is my characters. And my plot, I guess. And... uhh, my writing style?

Thanks to ziggy9677, Salimus, Foxyjosh, pikachuhunter1 and Calling Wind for reviewing! This chapter is brought to you thanks to their encouragement! If you would like to request/inspire a new chapter, please click on 'Submit a Review' and leave something nice :3

Here's the deal: I decided to update again, but the trade-off is that I still haven't written any more. Please keep that in mind... next update might be a while :O

Oh goodie, you guys get a longish chapter. Well, enjoy and don't forget to stop by the "submit a review" part... Please? If you do, you get a batch of virtual cookies! I promise there's no strange after-taste... or is there?

Okay, all kidding set aside, please review! Let me know what you think :D

* * *

The next day, the door woke me up again. Mr. Handler was there, waiting with a tray of food in his hands.

"Get up. You're scheduled for another trial in approximately an hour and forty-five minutes".

"Couldn't I have slept until then?" I mumbled, rubbing sleep out of my eyes. I was a little sore from yesterday, but nothing really big enough to mention. I stretched, eyeing the food hungrily. There were scrambled eggs with pieces of ham, a small orange, and a carton of milk. _Yuck, I hate eggs... _

"Is there any cereal or something else? I really don't like eggs..." I picked at the eggs with the fork, making a small pattern on the plate.

"You're supposed to eat them. They're one of the best things you can eat for breakfast, and they'll last until lunch, so you won't feel hungry until then." He offered the tray, and I took it, still not convinced by his information. I sat down cross legged, placing the tray on my lap, and started eating the eggs. I tried to ignore their flavor by focusing on the ham hidden among it, and washed it all down with the milk when I was done. I made a face as the flavor still lingered on my tongue. _I could have had Cocoa Puffs or something chocolatey for breakfast..._

Next came the orange. I smiled and used my new claws to peel it. _I guess there is some use to them after all! _The slices were incredibly juicy and good, and my mouth watered as I ate one after another. The orange disappeared quickly, and I wished I'd had more of those instead of the unappetizing eggs.

"Now what?" I asked my handler, putting all the trash back on the tray. I licked whatever was left of the orange off my face, and washed my hands the only way I could think of. _Gross, yet it feels so natural..._

"Here, these will come more in handy, and they're better than what you're wearing right now." He held up some black clothes, and I took them, grateful to get out of my torn garments. "Use the screen, I will go make sure no one's looking..." he trailed off, losing himself in his thoughts.

"You better not look," I muttered, examining the clothes. There was a sporty top, black, strong, and comfortable, and a pair of shorts, made of the same material and cloth. I walked behind the screen, avoiding the hole in the corner. _Now, how do I do this? _I crouched and changed into my new clothes, making sure I was protected by the screen. I still didn't trust my handler with that.

When I was done, I stood up and admired the outfit. It was just like the sort of stuff I used to practice with! Now I'd have more flexibility, with no dirty hospital gown to worry about. I twisted and stretched every which way, and, satisfied with the clothes, sat down to wait for the handler to come back.

I was humming a song to myself when the atmosphere in the cell changed. My fur stood on end, and I looked around for the source of the disturbance. The cell was as empty as ever, and I shivered unintentionally.

"Who's there?" I asked softly, feeling a little foolish.

-_I am,- _replied a faint voice in my mind.

"Who's that?" I said, ears perked up.

-_A friend, I hope. I can't explain all... too far... but shhh! Don't tell anyone...- _The voice was fading, and with it the strange presence. Soon, the cell was back to normal.

_Weird..._

My handler came in after a while, when he thought I would be fully changed. He paused and looked at me, taking in the clothes. "Better?" he asked, picking up the old gown.

"Much..." I replied without paying much attention.

"Anything I should take note of?" He looked around, trying to find what I was staring at.

..._Don't tell anyone..._

"No, I'm just... thinking, that's all." I managed a small smile and stood up. "So, what's today's trial about...?" I stared at him, realizing that I didn't know his name.

"Ray," he finished. "Name's Ray. Today, you will be required to run for a certain amount of time, while I monitor your vitals and heart rate. Now, if you're done, we can go to the trial..." He motioned for me to exit, and we walked the same path we did before.

This time, I took notes on my surroundings, noticing that every hallway was monitored by a camera. There were several doors, yet one of them called up unwanted memories. _Of course... The 'Room'._ The smells wafting from that direction were too overwhelming for my sensitive nose, so I sped up and walked past. I had so much to find out about this place... but how?

The reception room was just as it was before, with the exception of a person sitting in a couch facing the TV. He had jet black spiky hair, a black shirt with white writing on it, a blue vest, and dirty jeans. He looked at us and grinned, waving a hand lazily in our direction. "Ray, so nice to see you. You brought the freak along? Well, I'm not meaning to be disrespectful or anything, but it has to go elsewhere. I'm not in the mood to deal with it," he turned back to the TV, surfing the channels.

I frowned and glared at the back of his neck. _Who does he think he is, calling me a freak? _I crossed my arms and headed for the door leading to the trial room. The sooner we got out of this room, the less time we'd spend in the company of that person.

"Carson, shut up and mind your own business. I thought you were on duty today as well?" Ray raised an eyebrow, staring at him and demanding an answer.

"Oh, that. Yeah, well, I decided to take a break. There's only so much a person can take... Hey, look, yours actually behaves!" he was looking at me now, interest clear in his eyes. He stood and started walking towards me, a nasty smile forming in his face.

"Back off, Carson. You're not going to spoil another one. You've already done enough damage for one person." Ray moved in between us, and I started to get a little nervous. Carson grabbed him by the clothes and threw him away, taking out his Taser.

I growled a warning, and backed away from him. I didn't like this Carson guy, and the sooner we got out of there, the better. He circled around, taunting me with his Taser, pointing this way and that. I was getting more than a little bit annoyed and actually started worrying.

"Let's see how you dance to my tune!" He pointed yet again, and fired. I managed to duck out of its way, and came up behind him. _Duh, you don't give out a warning that you're gonna attack, you dummy!_

"Big mistake..." I whispered in his ear, suddenly willing to teach this jerk a lesson. I laid a claw on the back of his neck, breathing heavily on his neck. "I don't want to ever see you again, understand? I may be a freak now, but you've always been a jerk and, from the look of things , you don't stand a chance. Or would you like to pay the hospital a visit, see if they have any ointments for _severe_ burns?" He shook his head and I tossed him away, disgusted by him. _Some people are just like that... _

"Let's go. I'm not wasting my time with that scum." Ray and I stepped around him to the door, and I managed to slap his face with my tail. I'd never had any respect for bullies...

"Would you even _be_ able to burn him?" Ray asked as the doors slid shut behind us.

I flashed him a toothy grin. "No, but he doesn't need to know that, now does he?"

The same scent from yesterday lingered in the air. _I wonder... _I followed it slowly, picking it out of the air. Here was a musky scent, one that reminded me of the smell of a campfire. _Mine, perhaps?_ It led directly to room number 1. I stood stunned, shaking my head in disbelief. _I never imagined I would pick out my own scent... _

I turned away from it to follow the other scent. It reminded me of the times I had gone on Nature walks, of wet grass and trees. It led to door number 2, and I examined it, dropping to my hands and knees to peer under it.

"Hey, get away from that door!" Ray had followed me on my quest for scents, and now looked genuinely concerned.

"Why? What's in there?" I turned back to the door, but it gave away no secrets.

"Nothing of concern... we're just, um, not going there today, that's all." Ray led me to door number 3. I shot the door a backwards glance, thinking that there was something important about that door if it made Ray act that way.

The doors slid shut behind us as we entered a new trial room. Ray took a small remote control hanging by the door, and turned the lights on. There were fitness machines scattered around the center of the room, and a rack of weights varying in color and size lined the walls. I saw a mechanical arm above our heads, wires hanging down.

"What's that for?" I asked Ray, eyeing the mechanism suspiciously.

"That is to measure your vitals." He took one of those things and stuck it on my arm, motioning towards a screen. There was a line across the middle of it that sprang to life as soon as I felt the cool electrode's surface. I shuddered slightly, and stared at the screen, entranced. A small dot ran from left to right, forming peaks and valleys on the screen. I remembered vaguely that it was my heart rate, but, other than that, it was completely out of my league.

"And... uhhh, how is this supposed to work again?" I grabbed a couple of electrodes and experimented with them, trying to set them up. I managed to somehow end up tangled in the myriad of cables and electrodes. "A little help please?" Ray groaned, and I shot him as innocent a smile as I could muster.

It took a while to get me out of the mess I got myself into, but Ray finally managed. I watched him as he started up a machine, and typed a few commands into the computer. _At least one of us knows what to do... _I grinned sheepishly and let him direct me for setting up the electrodes. Two for the temples, one for the neck, one on the chest, two for every arm, two for the insides of the legs as well.

I felt like a puppet.

"Okay, now what?" I said, resisting the urge to rip them off. I felt unnerved all of a sudden. Being hooked up to a machine like this didn't feel natural. We hadn't even started and I was already having trouble with the trial...

"Now follow me." He moved towards the other side, the mechanical arm moving so it was directly above my head at all times. "Step onto this machine," I followed his order, stepping onto a treadmill, "...and get running."

Without warning, the machine turned on and threw me off. I landed in a pile, dazed and a little annoyed. _Why does he never give a warning when he does that? Seriously..._

"Try again. We'll adjust the pace so you can keep up." He was trying to hide a grin behind a mask of seriousness, but he was utterly failing.

"Next time let me get my footing before you sweep the floor from underneath me, yes?" I grumbled and got up, stepping onto the machine again. I managed to tune to the pace, and ran along with it.

"But where's the fun in that? No one ever said I wasn't allowed some entertainment while training you. It's just too much fun!" I shot him a mock death glare, then stared ahead of me, deciding not to allow him any more laughs at my expense. Ignoring him would be the best way to annoy him.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Now, let's get started for real. You have a twenty minute run ahead of you, with all your vitals monitored. Please don't mess up..." he added under his breath.

I sighed and settled into a running pace. It really wasn't any more difficult than most of my soccer games, although the weird anatomy had me struggling for a little while. I was used to a smaller stride, so I had to adjust and ended up with a strange mix of power-walking and jogging as my running pace.

After what I guessed to be twenty minutes, the treadmill slowed down, and I let it drop me off on solid ground. I saw Ray picking up a pile of papers that had just come off a printer of sorts, and wondered what they said.

"Well, it seems you have passed the endurance trial. You scored well on it, I might add. Athlete?" he asked, flipping through the papers and looking at graphs that I couldn't make heads nor tails of.

"Soccer," I replied. "Captain of my team, before you guys decided I had no right to a normal life anymore..." I trailed off, feeling resentful. Why had they done this to me? Why was I deprived of my life without a reason? Why?

An uncomfortable silence settled in between us. Ray squirmed and fidgeted with the papers while I stared at him, frowning. If it wasn't for the Taser, I would have forced a few answers out of him. As it was, I wanted to avoid being shocked into submission. At least for the moment.

Ray finally broke the silence. "We should go back now... we're done here."

There were no new events to speak of on the way back, only a penetrating silence occasionally broken by the sliding of the doors. I followed Ray, making no attempt to break the silence. It let me think for a while and cleared my head. Yes, I had to get out of here, but how? I didn't even know roughly how many people worked here. Not that it mattered anyways.

I wasn't a fighter.

I'd have to figure out a way around those Tasers and rods. I didn't stand a chance against one, let alone dozens or hundreds of them. I might get away if I run, but for that to be successful, there can't be any doors in my way. It might be extremely painful otherwise.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when we reached my cell. Ray lingered even after I'd gone in, and I wondered what was going on.

"Look... I know I'm not exactly innocent, and I know you might be mad. Okay, _very_ mad," he corrected himself as my frown deepened. "Just... don't give up. You have to work hard before the end of the week, or you might not make it. As much as the professor likes fluffy and cute, it's numbers that she really cares about. I can't really say any more. Believe it or not, you're not the only prisoner here..." With those words, he turned around and left, the doors sliding shut before my mind could grasp what he had said.

_More mysteries... Just what the heck is this place?_

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**A/N: **Hey, if you guys are nice and review, I'll let you know something cool! Yes? ... Fine, I'll tell you first so you can review!

Next chapter is the second-longest one, I believe, just a few words shorter than the first one. I personally like it, although be forewarned: it's a bit bloody. I don't believe it's enough to crank up the rating, but if you're not sure about that, skip it and PM for a cleaner version...


	12. The Final Test A Battle to Remember

The Final Test: A battle to remember

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. Touch my characters, however, and I will most definitely come after you. I'll set Seven on you! Consider yourself warned.

Thanks to Foxyjosh, ziggy9677, and Salimus for reviewing!

I'm thinking about having a beta reader for this story. If you are interested/qualify as a beta, let me know _through PMs_ and I'll choose someone to review chapters before they're published. Ask me for details if you'd like.

Mm, I think this might be a little bloody. Let me know if I should crank up the rating? For those of you a little blood-queasy, I might recommend not reading this. Although there are worse fics out there, I wouldn't want to cause any discomfort. You can pm me for a shortened, cleaner version and I'll try to accommodate you :)

This was definitely one of the funnest chapters to write... don't ask me why I enjoyed it so much!

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The rest of the week passed by in the same pattern. A hasty breakfast, followed by either the agility trial or a simple weights workout that Ray told me was designed to build up muscle and toning. Fortunately, I never saw that Carson guy again, at least for those days.

I managed to complete the agility trial in twelve minutes, with only minor bruises to speak of. I was feeling proud of myself, having adjusted to my new body in what I thought must be a short time. However, I still managed to give myself small scratches here and there. Somehow, having claws was proving to be the most difficult part of the new body.

I had grimaced when I'd managed to catch a glimpse of myself reflected on one of the doors. I looked _filthy_! I'd pondered how to make myself more presentable, but there was just no other way to do it. I had to settle on doing the only thing that came to my mind short of sacrificing my precious water.

I licked myself clean.

Let me rephrase that. I licked my paw, then ran it over myself. I tried not to think about what I was doing. I crossed my fingers, hoping that I wouldn't get sick doing this. At least, I crossed them mentally. What a mess... this whole situation was completely messed up.

Ray seemed friendly enough. Well, considering he was the only other constant human contact I had, he did fairly well. His past still remained a mystery, but he treated me better than that despicable scientist who had "treated" me in the Room. So I gave him some credit for that.

The end of the week came by, and Ray walked in to wake me up. "This is it. Today is a test for you. If you pass, you'll be much better off than you are right now, by far. If you fail..." he trailed off, and I caught his meaning. If I failed, this was the end for me.

"I'm ready," _I hope. _I stood up and waited for him to say something, anything about anything. Maybe to tell me that it was nothing to be afraid of, that I would do well, that the sun would come out tomorrow. I didn't know what, but something would have been nice. I wasn't too surprised when nothing of the sort was said. _Don't get your hopes up, remember where you are, _I grimly told myself.

He walked in silence, leading me down the path that I knew so well by then. We didn't go to the break room, or through the center room, or into the trial rooms. He turned at one of the doors that I had often seen locked when going to the trials. The hall past the door was cold and narrow, and I felt claustrophobic. Not even my cell had made me feel like this, but I couldn't explain what came over me then. I was scared.

The hall ended at a big door, very much like a loading bay. It was completely white, with huge scarlet letters stamped on it.

'ARENA'.

My stomach turned at the thought of what would await me.

-.-.-

The inside was just as dreary as the outside. It was nothing more than a big, empty sand dump, but nothing less than a bigger cell. A football field could easily fit inside the arena. It was just as closely watched as the rest of the building, with domed cameras and a few mechanical things that I was sure I didn't want to find out what they did.

There was a circle in the center of the arena, and what I saw made me pale and go weak at the knees. The sand there was disturbed and thrown about, as if someone had struggled and fought there. Even more, it was stained a darker color in other places. I was somewhat happy that I hadn't had breakfast yet, because I was sure that otherwise, I would have been reacquainted with it. The whole place reeked with a metallic odor. I shuddered.

Stale blood.

Ray stood on one side of the arena, close to the wall. I walked up beside him and looked at him, questioning him with my eyes to avoid breaking the eerie silence. "You must wait for your opponent," he whispered, barely moving his lips. I frowned and looked around the place, then settled down to watch the door I had come through. The _only _door leading in or out of the arena.

"Listen," he hissed. "This will be a tough match. Your opponent is vicious, bordering on murderous. You'll have to watch your back at all times. Whatever you do, though, _don't lose control. _It would be better if you lost in a close battle than winning with the consequences of losing control..."

A stern voice rang out from a small metal box above the door. "Mr. Lasen, _if you_ _please, _you are required to go to the Observation room. _At once." _

Ray nodded visibly, and started making his way towards the door. He turned his head back a little, and hissed once again, "Remember what I told you..."

"_No talking to either of the contenders is allowed!_" The voice screeched, its angry tone echoing off the walls.

Ray sped up and left, leaving me alone in an over-sized sandbox of doom. _I'd never even liked sandboxes when I was little. _

-.-.-

After about half an hour of waiting, the door opened and Carson stepped in, looking around the arena. I growled menacingly until I saw that he wasn't alone. A pair of bulky thugs were dragging in what looked like a struggling green reptile-looking thing. It was even more intriguing because the captive creature was considerably smaller than the thugs. I blinked in astonishment when I saw the fluorescent lights in the arena reflecting off a pair of vicious-looking blades protruding from the creature's arms.

"Let me go you (insert crude, insulting speech here)!" These words were followed by a barrage of profanities and curses in a different language, none of which I understood. The green creature was thrown to the ground, the three men quickly retreated through the door, and I found myself staring straight into the angry eyes of that being.

-.-.-

"Hullo," she said suddenly, standing up and dusting herself. Gone was the anger and edge to her voice now. _Huh?_

"Seems like we have a newbie. What's your name, doggy-girl?"

I sniffed indignantly. "My name is Tasha. And I'm not a doggy-girl." I crossed my arms and glared at the other morph.

She laughed humorlessly. "Just wait until you've been here a while, you'll see things differently. I'm Rita, by the way. Or as those creeps like to call me, the 'Brute'."

Our conversation was cut short by an announcement. "Attention contenders! Today's prize is a new room and the ability to use certain facilities in the building. The winner will get these privileges and maybe more! The loser gets a fully-paid, one-way trip to her cell!"

Rita cackled at the announcement. "Think you're gonna entice me with a new rathole? Think again!"

"Did I mention that one of the added privileges is the use of a proper bathroom?" Rita's eyes widened at this, and I could see her processing the information. She broke out in a wicked grin and stepped menacingly towards me. "Now here's the drill, doggy-girl: You stay still and I make it painless. You put up a fight, and things get ugly. Got that?"

I backed away from the approaching morph. "Can't we settle this with a match of rock-paper-scissors? Please?" I was embarrassed when my voice came out as a high-pitched squeak, but I couldn't help it. Those blades looked terrifying enough.

"Rock-paper-scissors my butt. This is serious business..." She laughed maniacally.

-.-.-

"It's not a fair playing field! The Scyther has all the advantage on this one. Not even her agility can save her!" Ray raised his voice and pointed at the monitors. "See how Five toys with Seven? It's not a challenge for her, it's recess!"

The professor silenced the trainer with a look, then considered helping Seven out. After all, she wanted her to win, and it would be an immense financial loss for the project if she was hurt beyond her own ability to heal.

"Very well," she said, nodding. She pressed a button on the control panel. "Bring the bracers."

-.-.-

I jumped to the side, tiring fast. I'd managed to avoid her vicious swipes, but I wouldn't hold out much longer. I had given up reasoning and pleading with her a long time ago, opting to save my breath for more evasive maneuvers. She, on the other hand, looked as fit as ever.

"Heeere, doggy doggy! Come and play! We haven't got all day!" She came after me.

The intercom came to life again, barking an order. I didn't hear it over Rita's insane laughter, but it repeated said order.

"_STOP! _Stop the fight or you are disqualified for the prize!"

I obligingly jumped away and stared around, but Rita had to be subdued by a paralyzing dart. A lab assistant walked in and gave me a pair of metal things. I looked at him, puzzled, and inspected them. They were long and strong, made of tempered metal.

"You're supposed to wear them. Like so," he took one and slipped it onto my arm, strapping them on and slipping a leather halter over my middle and ring fingers. He tied it like one would a tennis shoe, the small holes running almost the entire length of the bracer. He tugged on it to make sure it was in place and firm, then seemed satisfied with it. "Other hand," he commanded, and soon I was admiring my new accessories. There were small ridges running down the outside of the bracers, probably meant to catch things like Rita's blades on them.

"This should give you an edge against that insane morph..." he whispered, looking back to make sure Rita hadn't heard anything.

"Thanks?" I wasn't sure if I was glad that at least someone was rooting for me, or worried that they were serious about the whole fight deal. _Only way to make sure is to stay alive! _

The assistant nodded and left, meaning that the battle was resumed. Rita took a step, shaking her head to get rid of the residual effects of the dart. "So you had to get help, eh? It's not hard to see who's the professor's pet!" She swiped at my face, and I managed to get my arm up in time to stop her attack. Her blade ran down the ridges, lodging safely in between a pair of them. I let out a relieved sigh, only to duck as her free hand took another shot at my neck.

She pulled her arm free of the bracer, and jumped nimbly back when I went in to score a slash of my own. "Not bad, but I still have another trick up my sleeve!" A pair of dragonfly wings snapped out. _Great, another pleasant surprise. _

She cackled insanely again and lunged forward, swinging her right arm in a downward motion. I blocked, feeling the sheer force of her swing make contact with my arm, the impact numbing it. Her other blade threatened my side, to which I answered by bringing out my other arm. She pressed in with all her strength, and I felt her gain ground. We were locked and face-to-face, when I saw her grin wickedly. She downed me with a kick to the stomach, and I doubled over, gasping for air.

"Someone hasn't had much battle experience! It looks like I have the pleasure to instruct you in the ways of pain!" Her wings started beating rapidly, disappearing into a blur. She circled around me, picking up speed and whipping up a cloud of sand. I squinted and tried to follow her path, but it proved impossible.

A bladed arm swung out, catching the side of my head. I fell from the impact and the momentum the blow carried. Rita was on top of me in no time, slashing and hacking away. I put my arms up to defend myself, only to have them pinned down by her legs. I felt a warm trickle on my forehead and realized that I was bleeding from countless wounds. The thought made me panic and instinct took over. I bunched up my legs and pushed hard, sending the green morph flying. I got up dizzily, grimacing at the blood that was flowing from my sides.

"The doggy-girl finally puts up a fight, eh?" She cackled at me, her cruel laughter echoing off the walls.

-.-.-

Ray had looked away when Seven fell. She wouldn't stand much of a chance if she kept this up. His colleagues' comments caused him to turn around and gasp in horror. Seven was standing in a pool of her blood, staring into space. He stepped closer to the screen and beheld his fears come true. The girl was quivering, blood coming freely from her wounds, pupils dilated and mouth agape, drawing in the scent of her own blood. She drew in quick, shallow breaths, eyes narrowing with the steely glint of bloodlust.

She set her now cold gaze on the Scyther. Ray could have sworn the Scyther morph shuddered and backed away, keeping her eyes on Seven. A low growl was heard from the mic receptors, and Seven dropped down on all fours, stalking the Scyther morph. She advanced deliberately and methodically, cornering it against the wall. The Scyther morph bumped into the wall, looking around Seven to find a spot where she could gain some ground and get away from the prey-turned-predator.

Despite warnings against doing so, Ray left the room, heading for the arena where a tragedy was imminent if left to unfold.

-.-.-

Rita cursed under her breath. She had pushed too hard, gotten careless in her taunting. Her aim had been to deterr the newcomer from winning, but got too caught up in her role. Now she had a crazed morph on her scent, one that just _happened_ to be her type's weakness.

What worried her the most, though, were the eyes. The warm brown eyes had given way to a cold, predator gaze, one that demanded _her_ blood as punishment for the wounds inflicted. She backed away slowly as the other morph slowly approached. Her wings brushed against the wall. She was trapped.

"Okay, you win! I'm sorry!" She tried reasoning with her, hoping the other morph would calm down. "You can have the bathroom! Just calm down!"

Her apology was met by that unnerving gaze of hers, the morph's growls silencing Rita. She was about to strike out in fear when the door to the arena opened and one of the trainers stepped in.

"Stop! Tasha! Snap out of it!" His intrusion made the enraged morph turn and fix her bloodshot gaze on him.

It was the only distraction Rita needed. She pushed against the wall, lunging out of the corner she had been trapped in.

-.-.-

Ray paled as Seven's head swiveled to fix him in her stare, the sight of the crazed morph a reminder of the inhumanity of their experiments. She was down on all fours, hind legs bunched up for a lunge. Out of the corner of his eyes, he caught sight of the Scyther morph making a run for it. He knew he was the distraction it needed, but he was starting to fear for his own safety.

Seven's head snapped around and caught a mouthful of the other morph's arm, her jaws crunching down on the flesh and bone just below where the blade began. Her claws raked down the Scyther's wings, and he tried to block out the screams of agony coming from Five. They had to stop her somehow.

-.-.-

"Professor, the intervention squad is on its way. They will arrive with a full team."

The professor was watching the monitors with a keen interest, almost enthralled by what was happening. Her eyes were glued to the screen, taking in the beating the Scyther was suffering from her pet morph.

"Tell them that the Arcanine morph is to be taken alive, no matter what."

-.-.-

Rita was fighting for her life. Gone was the attitude, the cool pose, even her pretense of madness. All she could do was struggle against a stronger foe who had no feeling of pain or restraint, and hope that her Scyther caparace held out.

Her left arm hung limply, one of the bones snapped clean through. She started to feel weak from blood loss, fighting against passing out as much as against the other morph. Her arm wound was deep and big, blood running freely and uncontrolled.

Seven's muzzle dripped blood, _Rita's _blood now. She licked the blood from her face, baring crimson-stained teeth that had never looked so deadly. Blood dripped from the cut Rita inflicted on her head, making her look like a thing out of horror movies. Her claws raked her caparace, leaving scratches that ran deep and weakened the armor.

Seven knocked Rita down, jumping on her and pinning her limbs down. Her wings were being crushed under her. The morph's weight made breathing difficult for Rita. Seven's drool dripped onto the Scyther morph's face, and one of her paws pushed Rita's head up, baring her vulnerable neck.

She howled and was about to deliver the killing blow when a hollow noise was heard, and a colorful dart stuck out of the Arcanine morph's shoulder. She looked away, growling, then back into Rita's face, her growls fading away as the super-fast sedative took effect.

Rita could have sworn she saw Seven's humanity slip back into her eyes as she toppled on top of her, unconscious.

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**A/N: **So... let me know what you think. Reviews are appreciated, as always.


	13. Pit of Darkness

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. The characters and story are mine, however. Deal with it.

Thanks to Foxyjosh, ziggy9677, Cedric Bale, and Rellymaster for reviewing! It's thanks to you guys that I keep on writing and not doing my homework :3 Nah, I'm just kidding, but thanks!

Alright menz, here's the deal: I'm gonna be writing essays and stuffs over the next few weeks or so. I probably won't be able to write much, I haven't written much, and I have only a little more worthy of posting. So this is the warning. The next update might be as it has been regularly, or it may be in a couple of weeks. Besides, I has Brisingr! That means hours of jolly old reading time for me. It probably won't last past next week, but we'll see.

I apologize if my chapters seem short or of irregular length. I try to aim for episodes and themes for them, rather than word length. Plus a limited amount of time means shorter chapters...

And, there's a poll up. Just giving you a heads-up... so go vote nao.

So yeah, enjoy, I'll try to get everything done so I can update but I can't promise much. Till next time :3

Also, if you like to draw and would like to draw up a picture for this story, feel free to do so :D I'd try but I'd rather not slaughter my own story... o.0

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**Chapter 13 - Pit of darkness**

Seven's cell was as bare as usual, with an added change: it was a mess.

The few things that were in it, namely, the bed and the food items, were stained and slashed beyond recognition. Different-colored trails crisscrossed the floor, revealing a restless prisoner. The privy area was starting to smell badly, and the whole atmosphere was one of anger and restlessness.

A heap of mangy, dirty fur lay in a corner, the owner not worried about personal hygiene or appearance. Its eyes constantly moved, staring at first one thing and then another, never settling for long. It growled to itself, hissing and muttering with anger. Its tongue licked at its lips, dry and cracked. A trail of caked blood ran from its forehead to its neck.

It was thirsty. Thirsty for one thing and one thing only: blood.

-.-.-

The professor watched the creature from behind the safety of the facility's cameras. She was beginning to worry, more because of its mental state than about the wounds of her precious morph. She hoped they wouldn't become infected, or she would have to bring in the doctors again. However, that was not the most pressing issue.

Her mind drifted back to the aftermath of the battle. The Scyther morph had been wheeled to the medical wing immediately, where a team of doctors and scientists had scrambled to stop the blood flow from its wounds and patch up the broken bone. They had had to stitch most of the cuts shut, applying ointments and anesthetics to keep the pain to a minimum for the poor thing. Its natural armor had cracked in several places, while the little human flesh that remained was hanging in strips in some of the more damaged places. They had toiled all through the night, fixing the morph up as well as they could. If it survived the night, it would live.

She snapped back to the present. As much as she hated the Scyther morph, she couldn't help feeling remorse for its current state. She had almost lost it at the sight of the torn, damaged body being wheeled to the emergency room. As much as she had wanted to push it out of her mind, she had to face it.

Something was wrong with Seven.

It wasn't normal for the morphs to be unable to use their own attacks, even the most basic ones. Seven had only used brute force and claws. And the rage she had gone on... it was too much to be ignored. Perhaps it was due to the rushed morphing she had undergone. She'd have a word with the scientists once things were winding down.

The Arcanine morph hadn't eaten in over a day, refusing to even try the food that was given to it. Its angry rampaging had not stopped once the sedative wore off. It had continued to thrash about in its cell, roaring its anger out.

She turned her attention back to the monitor. The morph had begun pacing once again. It paced the length of the cell, then abruptly turned and paced in the other direction, swinging its head violently. Its tail swished angrily, matching its pace.

It growled to itself, eyes shifting from side to side. It was looking for something, and the professor had a sickening thought that she knew what it was.

-.-.-

_-Blimey, that one got you good!-_

The Scyther morph sighed, the simple action sending a myriad pain signals to her brain. _What do you want, Ben? _Her voice sounded weak, strained, defeated.

_-Nothing, just checking up on you, kiddo. Think you'll survive? Or should we have a coffin ready?-_

_Can't you just leave me be? I'm not exactly in the mood or state for jokes..._

_-Upset? Tell Cousin Ben everything that's on your mind.-_

_It's the morph, Ben. The Arcanine morph. You should have seen the change that came over her. She went berserk, and not just angry. She lost it. She almost killed me!_

A nagging presence in her mind indicated that "Ben" was replaying her memories for himself. He mentally whistled. _-That's one heck of a fight, that is. You pushed her too far, Rita.-_

_I know. I just wanted to make sure we got the prize. I guess I didn't think it out too well, did I? _A single tear trickled down her face, landing on the bed sheet. _Do you think I'll be alright? _

_-Kiddo, I know you, and I know you'll be more than alright. You'll be up and at 'em in no time!- _Ben replied, as much to answer her questions as to stifle his own fears.

-.-.-

Ray stared at the door leading to Seven's cell. He hadn't gone in since... that. He was too afraid. He was too chicken to risk being in the same room as Seven again.

He wondered if his work with her was done. He _had _been assigned to her only for training and preparing for the battle with the Scyther morph. Maybe he'd finally be able to leave and forget this whole nightmare...

No, he told himself. He'd be a liability. He'd be forced to work for the company forever. There was no way he was getting out of it clean. He was doomed to the underground lab for the rest of his days.

A mighty roar came from inside the cell. Ray looked up suddenly, startled by the morph's ferocity. It hadn't even been four days before that he'd joked and walked with her. She'd seemed like the most innocent of the morphs, the easiest to get along with. He hadn't even minded being assigned to her training.

He looked around the halls, making sure no one was watching. Taking a deep breath, he walked up to the door and peered in through the thick glass. There. In one corner, a heap of fur that rose with each ragged breath, dishiveled, unkempt, and dirty.

His throat was a knot. He couldn't swallow. He walked away fast, not looking back.

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**A/N: **I really appreciate reviews, especially for this chapter and the next! They were some of the most difficult chapters to write... so yeah :D


	14. The Dream

Chapter 14 - The Dream

Disclaimer: I think I've said it more than enough times, but... I do not own Pokemon. I do own my characters. Deal with it.

Thanks to Rellymaster, Foxyjosh, Cedric Bale, pikachuhunter1, Teraunce, SorcererTech, ElementKiyoko, Wingless fate and ziggy9677 for reviewing! And thanks also to all those who added this story to their favorites/alerts, even if they didn't review! :D Last chapter was kinda... interesting, what with the alerts system being down and whatnot...

I apologize for the time I've made you guys wait, but I haven't had time. It's sad...

Just like I have said in previous chapters, my writing time is limited. Finals are gonna be soon, prom is coming up, yadda yadda... You know the rest.

Hmmm, when I was writing this chapter, I commented about summer being over. Sad, huh? It's quite a while ago since I last updated...

* * *

The Arcanine morph fell asleep, more out of exhaustion than out of habit. Everyone in the building breathed a sigh of relief. They could relax for a while.

The morph tossed and turned, her legs kicking out excitedly. She was swallowed up completely by her vivid dreams.

_She was running, faster and harder than any other living creature nearby. Her mane trailed back, the wind whipping it wildly and caressing it. She ran as free as the clouds and as careless as the streams. _

_Slowing down to a walk, she crouched low, belly to the ground. Ears swiveling back and forth, straining to hear the sound of a heartbeat, of little paws scurrying and pattering about. Her jaws agape, she drew in deep breaths and examined the scents in the air. Very few prey were around. _

_She pressed onward, insistent. The tall grass rustled ever so softly as she moved among it, silent as a soft summer breeze. Her tail noiselessly switched from side to side, helping her balance the bulk on her body to avoid giving out her presence. _

_There. _

_A few bounds ahead, a small rodent nibbled away at a fruit. Her prey's furry brown body balanced perfectly on a stout, ringed tail. Its long ears twitched lazily, its happy, blissfully ignorant chirps serving to hide her movements as she crawled closer, closer. Its half-closed eyes stared down at its fruit. It would be quick and easy. _

_She leaned back on her haunches, shifting her weight back for a bounce that would bring her upon the creature. Her eyes ravenously sought out the spot that would easily dispatch the rodent, her primeval instincts urging her onward. An impulsive low growl escaped her maws, barely audible yet almost giving her away. She clamped her mouth shut, both to avoid any more stumbles and to suppress the delicious smell of the prey. She must bide her time. _

_The small rodent finished its fruit, licking the juice off its minuscule paws. Its eyes roamed the clearing aimlessly, examining the leaves on the trees, the clouds in the sky, and the shadows playing among the grass. Its gaze settled on a strange pattern in the grass, an irregularity of the space just ahead and to the side. Ears perked up, it stayed still, nose twitching slightly. She waited, as immobile as her prey. They were as statues, frozen in place and looking at each other. _

_The rodent broke the spell. Some instinct warned it of the danger it was in, and it bolted away, small paws and tail struggling to put as much distance as possible between itself and the strange spot. _

_Her paws thundered on the ground, her heart racing and the adrenaline pumping. The hunt was on. The grass brushed roughly against her sides, but her thick, lush coat protected her. Muscle and sinew straining to the limit, she pressed on, slowly gaining on the smaller creature. Its terrified squeals fell on deaf ears as the instinct to kill and survive arose in her. Her mouth watered, lubricating her sharp teeth in preparation for the kill. _

_The rodent ran in zigzags, its sharp turns throwing its heavier predator off. She snarled viciously in protest of being denied a quick and easy kill. Her jaws clamped shut mere fractions of an inch behind the rodent's back, spurring the little animal to greater efforts to outrun her._

_It finally had the sense to scurry up a tree, disappearing high up into the more fragile branches of the tree. She skidded to a halt, growling and snarling up at her escaped prey. The rodent merely turned its back on her, tail waving mockingly. _

_She whirled around, shooting one last glare at the rodent. She knew it could spend all day on the tree, but she couldn't wait that long to eat. Springing forward, she sped away, in search of new prey. _

* * *

_Her pace slowed, her stomach twisting in hunger and protest. She felt weak, so weak. She had found nothing yet. The lush forest around her was full of prey, yet she could not hunt. There was something else drawing her away from the fat rodents. Some instinct was urging her forward, past the dens and burrows of unsuspecting creatures._

_The shadows around her shifted, wavering slightly. She paused, glancing around uneasily. The forest felt... weird. She could no longer recognize the scents around her, the ones that were usually present every moment of the day. She pawed the ground anxiously, peering into the shadows. _

_A faint light off to the side caught her attention. Enthralled, she approached it carefully, all other thoughts of food driven from her mind. There was a small speck of light in a clearing, set under a cold, starless sky. _

_She approached cautiously, the light reflecting on her unsheathed claws, lighting up the tree trunks in strange ways. _

_The shadows shimmered, then exploded, surrounding her and blotting out the forest. She was falling, falling through the air, spinning in an attempt to land on her paws. Her breath was wrenched from her lungs, and she gasped frantically for air, her thoughts clouding over as her brain noticed the lack of oxygen. _

_She landed on a cold surface, mysteriously unharmed. Shaken, she drew in great lungfuls of air, her body shuddering. Once she could breathe regularly, she stood up and glanced around her, peering into the twilight. She could not make out anything in the dim gloom that surrounded her. _

_A blinding light came on, hurting her eyes. She whimpered and shut them, then tentatively cracked them open, waiting for them to adjust to the light. She was able to see faint lines and smudges of color through her tearing eyes, but nothing more. Shutting them again, she slowly waited as the painful colors burned onto her vision from the sudden flash of light faded. _

_Cracking them open once again, she could see a cold marble floor beneath her paws, polished and squeaky-clean. Mustering her courage, she straightened up and glanced around. _

_A ring of shadowed faces seated on a raised dais surrounded her. She could pick out familiar features and poses among them, some shorter, some taller. The rows of people stretched out infinitely, past the point where she could see them clearly. They all sat passively and indifferently, their heads tilted down to better look at her. _

_She glanced down at herself, a disgraceful mix of human and Pokemon DNA. She was neither fully one nor the other. She felt dirty, broken, filthy and ashamed. No longer could she face the world in this form. She did not belong in it. She could not claim any part in it._

_She was filled with a sense of shame so powerful she cried out to the earth to swallow her up. She curled into herself, whimpering, wishing for it all to end, for the faces to look away from her. She couldn't stand the weight of their fixed eyes, searching, penetrating, silent. _

_The shadow faces looked on impassively, a blank expression on their faces. One by one, they faded back into a mass of shadows, none looking away before melting into the rest. _

_She covered her face with her paws, sobbing quietly, a silent tear dropping on the cold marble floor, unheeded and unheard by anyone but her. She was alone once again. _

* * *

Ray stood outside the cell once again, determined to do something. He had scolded himself for running away before, and decided to venture into the cell. He input the access code, begging that he would be spared the morph's anger. The computer processed the code, then the door slid open with a low hiss as the heavy bolt withdrew. He cautiously stepped inside and looked around for the morph, only to find her on the floor staring at him, watching his every move.

He was surprised she hadn't attacked yet, or at least growled in warning. He was even more surprised when she opened her mouth and spoke. "What's on today's schedule?"


	15. After the Battle

Chapter 15: After the Battle

I looked at Ray, puzzled by his face. It was something like what you would expect to come from right out of a cartoon. His mouth was hanging open, and he looked like he had seen the ghost of Andrew Jackson. I couldn't help chuckling at the sight.

"Morning to you too! Where's breakfast? I'm famished!" I rubbed my furry hands together, waiting for the tray of food that should get here any moment. I felt like I hadn't eaten in a week, and my stomach _hurt_ with hunger.

As I looked around, I noticed with dismay that my cell stunk, and it was dirty. "Was there a party or something? This place stinks..."

Ray shook his head. "You're... you're back?"

This puzzled me even more. "Have I been gone somewhere?" I looked everywhere to see if there was food, but I had no luck. "Listen, I don't want to sound demanding, but I'm _starving_. Can I go eat something?"

Ray shook his head. "I...I'll go. You stay here." He left the cell, still shaking his head.

_Why is he acting so... weird?_

-.-.-

Ray stopped in front of the professor's office. She wouldn't believe him, not at all. He knocked on the door.

"WHAT?" came an exasperated voice.

"Professor, you might want to check the monitors out. You'll be surprised..."

-.-.-

A short while later, a very stunned professor stared at the sight on the monitors, unable to comprehend how it could happen. A couple of hours ago, they were wondering what to do with a crazed morph. Next thing they know, she's back to normal and demanding food.

She wrote down a note on the clipboard, one meant for scientists and psychologists. "This is _very_interesting... you may go now." She had rudely dismissed Ray, but she needed time to think things through by herself, without having the trainer butt in.

Things were back on track once again.

-.-.-

Ray brought me a tray with an apple and toast, not quite filling but at least I wouldn't die of hunger any time soon. I had to force myself to chew properly, I was so hungry I wanted to just swallow it all whole, but I knew that wasn't the smartest thing to do.

"So... what about the cell?" I asked, playing with the apple's core. Ray looked at me warily, and I found myself elaborating on the question. "I mean, it's a mess!"

"You don't remember? Nothing at all?"

"Should I?" I asked, getting the feeling that something was wrong.

"Well, yes and no. You were... well, 'gone' for a while, and I thought you'd remember why..." he trailed off as he looked at me.

"What?" I followed his gaze and saw metal bracers. _Stained_metal bracers. My mind raced to recall where I'd gotten those. It hit me all of a sudden.

The fight. The morph. The blood. A metallic scent in the air, mixing in with the scent that I had wondered about earlier. Pain, anger, revenge, but more than anything, blood, and an all-consuming rage.

My head reeled, and I had to lean against the wall to keep from falling. I was shaking all over now, afraid to ask the question. "What happened?"

"You lost it out there," Ray said bluntly. "You went berserk on the Scyther morph and tore her to pieces."

"How is she?" I was afraid of the answer, but I had to find out.

"Doctors say she'll be better if she survives the night. They're working hard to stabilize her." He picked at his watch.

I stared at the metal bracers, unable to comprehend what had taken place. "But... why? How?"

He shook his head, averting my eyes. "We... don't know. We think it might be somehow linked to the base specimen used for the transformation. It was triggered by the scent of blood, fueled by pain and frustration."

"Do you think I could, uhh, visit Rita?" I asked warily, not knowing what answer to expect to this question.

"I don't think that would be a good idea..." Ray answered, thinking his answer through and picking his words right. "First off, we don't know how the other morph may react. That in itself is bad enough. Then there's the...psychological trauma seeing the damage done could cause," he rushed through, hoping to have his words heard by no one but himself. "And it's ultimately up to the professor. I could swear she's not going to let you."

I sighed, half-relieved and half-worried. Part of me wanted to avoid facing what I had done, and yet another part of me knew I owed it to Rita to at least show that I was sorry. And why was Ray so sure the professor would not let me see Rita?

Ray interrupted my inner debate. "Is there anything else you need?"

I thought for a second, but my mind came up blank. "Only a way to change the past and a shower, but neither is possible..." I trailed off wistfully, trying my hardest not to look at the caked blood that adorned my fur. I was past filthy now. I was covered in blood. What else could happen to make it worse?

"Well, I don't believe it is humanly possible to change the past, at least not according to my knowledge of current developments. However, about the shower... You have been assigned to a new room, and, in accordance to the promise made to you at the time of the competition, it is much better than this one. You won't have to worry about this mess for much longer, since you'll be moving in there soon." He took another look at me, eyeing the door tentatively. "Are you alright then?"

"I... guess I am," I answered, painfully aware that, while I had received a couple of scratches and bruises, I had sent another morph to the intensive care unit of the facility. But it was so blurry in my mind. Why couldn't I remember it clearly?

Ray nodded and stepped outside, the door slamming shut behind him with an ominous _thud._

* * *

**Author's note:**Hey guys, I know I haven't really updated this story in liiiiike… three years. I figured I might as well put up what I had left a long time ago. Yes, it's short. No, I can't really tell you to expect any more. Sorry :/ Thanks to all those who messaged or reviewed in that time period.


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